BX  8 .A4 

Ainslie,  Peter,  1867-1934. 
If  not  a united  church  — 
what? 


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y 


'in 

.Vi, 


If  Not  a United  Church — What?  - 


THE  CHRISTIAN  UNITY  HANDBOOK  SERIES 


Edited  by  Peter  Ainslie,  D.D. 


announcement 

There  is  a wide-spread  weariness  of  the  present 
forms  of  religion  as  expressed  by  all  the  bodies  of 
Christendom.  Consequently  we  are  to  look  for 
new  paths  whereby  the  will  of  God  and  the  soul 
hunger  may  be  satisfied.  As  a contribution  to 
this  end  the  Christian  Unity  Handbook  Series 
offers  for  heart-searching  consideration  the  pro- 
posals for  a united  Christendom,  discussed  with- 
out reservation  in  brief  handbooks  by  those  of  va- 
rious communions  and  of  various  nationalities  who 
have  given  study  to  this  whole  field  of  doing  the 
will  of  God  for  this  generation  and  satisfying  the 
present  day  soul  hunger,  believing  that  in  the 
passion  for  the  unity  of  Christendom  is  to  be 
found  a definite  step  toward  the  solution. 

The  next  volume  following  this  will  be  by 
his  Grace,  the  Archbishop  of  Uppsala,  Nathan 
Sbderblom. 


y 

THE  CHRISTIAN  UNITY  HANDBOOK  SERIES 
VOLUME  I. 

If  Not  a United 

Church— What? 

/ 

The  Reinicker  Lectures  at  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Theo- 
logical Seminary  in  Virginia 


PETER  ^INSLIE 

Editor  of  "The  Christian  Union  Quarterly" 
Author  of  "Christ  or  Napoleon — Which}  ” etc. 


New  York  Chicago 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1920,  by 

FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh : 75  Princes  Street 


Foreword 


These  lectures  were  first  delivered  from 
notes  at  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Theo- 
logical Seminary  in  Virginia  on  the 
Reinicker  Foundation.  They  have  been  deliv- 
ered on  other  occasions  and  each  time  additions 
have  been  made  to  them.  After  a longer  time 
than  I anticipated  I undertook  writing  them  out 
as  they  appear  in  this  volume.  Necessarily  there 
are  omissions  and  additions,  but  the  original  out- 
lines are  preserved.  They  aspire  to  be  only  a 
voice — another  voice — amid  the  many  that  are 
being  sounded  forth  for  the  unity  of  the  Church 
of  Christ. 


Baltimore,  Md. 


P.  A. 


I 


\ 


'J  i^'r, 


.-■f,  K''  ^ 


Contents 


I. 

Christian  Unity:  Its  Necessity 

II 

II. 

Christian  Unity  ; Its  Growth 

. 40 

III. 

Christian  Unity  : Its  Outlook 

• 70 

Appendix  : . . . . 

. 104 

I.  The  Call  for  a World  Conference  on  Faith 

and  Order  by  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church. 

II.  Association  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian 

Unity. 

III.  The  Second  Interim  Report  of  the  British 

Committee, 

IV.  The  Call  for  a Conference  on  Organic  Union 

of  the  Evangelical  Protestant  Bodies  in 
America  by  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  U.  S.  A. 

V.  The  Call  from  the  Scandinavian  Churches. 

VI.  The  Interchurch  World  Movement  of  North 

America. 

VII.  Touring  in  the  Interest  of  Christian  Unity. 

VIII.  Organizations  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian 

Unity. 

IX.  A Bibliography  on  Christian  Unity. 


I 


CHRISTIAN  UNITY:  ITS  NECESSITY 

^ g AHE  greatest  necessity  of  modern  times  » 
I is  the  unity  of  the  Church  of  Christ.* 
JL  No  other  issue  exceeds  it  in  importance.  ^ 
Nevertheless  we  have  been  so  accustomed  to, 
think  in  terms  of  a divided  Christendom  that  we » 
find  ourselves  to-day  not  only  still  involved  in  the  * 
multiplicity  of  divisions,  but  facing  the  difficult . 
task  both  of  finding  a way  to  think  in  terms  of  a • 
united  Christendom  and  of  being  Christian  to  all  • 
other  Christians.  Next  in  importance  to  the* 
coming  of  Christianity  into  the  world  is  the  at-  * 
taining  of  Christianity  unto  unity  for  the  comple-» 
tion  of  the  work  of  Christ  on  earth.  If  in  the 
first  period  love  to  and  faith  in  God  were  estab- 
lished, in  the  second  period  love  of  and  faith  in 
one’s  fellows  must  likewise  be  established  else  all 
expressions  of  the  two  great  ^mmandments  are 
both  inharmonious  and  false."*  The  integrity  and 
glory  of  Christ  are  so  involved  by  a divided 
Christendom  that  the  Church  is  under  necessity 
of  shifting  her  base  in  seeking  to  preserve  her 
honour,  now  so  divided,  obscured  and  defiled,  and 
* I John  4:20. 


II 


12  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WH  AT  ! 


of  finding  a base  upon  which  the  honour  of 
Christ  is  made  primary.  The  Church  has  dis- 
covered other  sins  and  scourged  them  from  her 
portals.  We  of  this  day  must  not  be  afraid  to 
face  the  sin  of  a divided  Christendom  and  ex- 
press repentance  in  our  change  of  mind  toward 
the  will  of  God  in  the  unity  of  His  Church,  for 
which  Christ  prayed  and  of  which  the  Apostle 
Paul  urged  that  all  should 

“attain  unto  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a fullgrown  man,  unto 
the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ.”  ’ 

It  is  the  challenge  of  the  hour — the  challenge 
to  each  of  us  who  has  been  enrolled  in  the  fellow- 
ship of  Christ.  I confess  myself  only  a student 
of  this  delicate  and  vital  problem.  I am  trying 
to  find  the  way  by  conference  with  others  of 
other  communions;  by  prayer  for  myself  and 
others,  not  that  others  may  come  to  my  point  of 
view  or  I to  theirs,  but  that  both  may  find  the 
truth;  also  by  working  side  by  side  with  others 
as  far  as  it  is  possible  in  the  present  state  of  divi- 
sion; and  by  trying  to  think  the  thoughts  of 
Christ,  Who  Himself  says, 

“I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and  the  life:  no  one 
cometh  unto  the  Father,  but  by  Me.”  ’ 

• I.  An  awakened  conscience  is  the  first  step 
■ toward  a united  Christendom.  It  has  been  so 
long  since  division  became  an  accepted  condition 

*Eph.  4:13.  "John  14:6. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  NECESSITY  13 


of  Christendom,  and  these  divisions  have  been  so 
stoutly  defended  either  in  the  rights  of  freedom 
or  in  the  condemnation  of  error,  that  we  must 
not  think  harshly  of  those  who  dissent  from  us  in 
our  appeals  for  the  unity  of  the  Church.  Equally^ 
important  with  the  most  vital  facts  of  Christen-  , 
dom  is  the  great  fact  of  brotherhood.  Conse-  ^ 
quently  we  cannot  take  the  first  step  toward  each 
other  except  it  be  in  the  attitude  and  patience  of 
brothers  irrespective  of  theological  dogmas  or 
decrees  of  ecclesiastical  councils. 

Because  the  Church  is  a divine  institution  it 
must  necessarily  contain  the  elements  of  unity. 
John  Ruskin,  in  his  “ Ethics  of  the  Dust,”  says, 

“A  pure  and  holy  state  of  anything  is  that  in  which 
all  its  parts  are  helpful  or  consistent.  The  highest 
and  the  first  law  of  the  universe,  and  the  other  name 
of  life  is  therefore  ‘ help.’  The  other  name  of  death  is 
‘ separation.’  Government  and  cooperation  are  in  all 
things,  and  eternally,  the  laws  of  life.  Anarchy  and 
competition,  eternally,  and  in  all  things,  the  laws  of 
death.” 

There  is  need  of  neither  argument  nor  witnesses 
to  sustain  this  affirmation.  The  whole  universe 
declares  it.  Order,  unity  and  harmony  are  in  all  ♦ 
that  God  has  made.  You  may  look  through  the  f 
telescope  into  the  clear  midnight  sky  or  through  a 
microscope  into  the  perfumed  heart  of  a flower 
or  into  the  delicately  formed  body  of  an  insect, 
and  everywhere  are  order,  imity  and  harmony. 
Discord  and  defect  indicate  the  presence  of  a 
foreign  element.  The  normal  condition  of  the 


14  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  ? 


Church  is  unity.  Disunion  is  immorality.  If  we 
find  something  that  is  pushing  us  away  from  our 
fellows,  let  us  not  deceive  ourselves  by  thinking 
that  that  something  is  religion.  The  fact  is  that 
that  something  is  irreligion,  for  religion  funda- 
mentally is  the  bond  of  kinship  and  love  which 
binds  us  together  and  to  God. 

Because  of  our  inherent  human  friendliness 
only  a united  Christianity  can  function  for  our 
greatest  need.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  natural 
sociability  and  mutual  advantage  impel  men  to 
unity.  One  of  the  purposes  of  Christianity  is  to 
remove  the  barriers  of  discord  and  unfriendli- 
ness, making  it  easy,  permanent  and  spiritual  for 
men  to  come  into  a fellowship  for  which  they 
were  created  and  out  of  which  they  are  to  develop 
into  the  highest  of  earth’s  products.  Instead  the 
divisive  condition  of  Christianity  is  defeating  the 
purpose  of  its  existence,  denying  a principle  that 
is  as  fundamental  as  the  belief  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ  and  making  the  impression  that  schism  is 
the  order  of  heaven,  which  every  one  knows  is 
not  true  from  his  own  natural  desire  for  friend- 
ship. 

In  a certain  town  there  are  four  congregations 
of  Christians  with  their  Church  buildings  within 
two  blocks  of  each  other.  All  the  lines  of  trade 
in  that  town  have  formed  cooperative  organiza- 
tions for  mutual  advantage.  The  overshadowing 
divisive  thing  there  is  in  the  matter  of  religion. 
The  members  of  these  four  congregations  meet 
on  a common  level  in  business  and  at  social  func- 


CHRISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  NECESSITY  16 


tions,  but  on  reverting  to  Christianity  all  four  are 
aloof  in  their  pride  of  history,  tradition  or  Scrip- 
tural interpretation.  No  man  can  say  that  such 
a condition  was  the  purpose  of  Christ  in  founding 
His  Church,  nor  the  will  of  Christ  in  maintaining 
His  Church,  unless  his  Christ  is  a creation  of  his 
own  mind  for  his  particular  party,  as  long  ago 
the  ancients  conceived  their  gods  to  suit  their  par- 
ticular notions.  Then  both  are  idolaters — the 
former  no  less  an  idolater  than  the  latter,  only 
his  phrasings  are  of  the  Christian  complexion  and 
therefore  more  repugnant  to  brotherhood  and  im- 
mortality. Frequently  the  opinions  of  these 
Church  people  have  been  labeled  as  convictions. 
Perhaps  they  would  die  for  them  and  many 
doubtless  have  done  that,  but  such  martyrdoms 
add  neither  to  the  sanctity  of  the  person  nor  the 
cause.  When  one  is  able  to  classify  in  his  own 
thinking  which  are  convictions  and  which  are 
opinions  he  forthwith  needs  to  revise  the  former 
and  give  liberty  to  the  latter,  if  he  desire  adjust- 
ment to  the  spiritual  necessities  of  the  times. 
Convictions  cannot  be  compromised  with  the  idea 
of  permanency,  but  they  can  be  revised,  and  every 
life  that  is  growing  toward  God  is  revising  its 
convictions  constantly.  No  one  is  looking  for 
the  unity  of  Christendom  to  come  by  the  way  of 
compromised  convictions,  but  the  tragedy  of 
division  is  that  it  is  maintained  by  compromise. 
There  is  not  a body  in  all  Christendom — Greek 
Orthodox,  Roman  Catholic,  Anglican  or  Prot- 
estant— ^but  has  by  its  very  existence  compro- 


16  IP  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


mised  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  Now  the  question  is 
whether  we  are  willing  to  guard  our  opinions 
about  this,  that  and  the  other  to  the  last  ditch  of 
our  failure  and  continue  compromising  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  by  division  in  the  Church,  or  whether 
we  are  willing  to  revise  our  convictions,  sur- 
rendering to  the  leadership  of  the  Spirit  and 
thereby  finding  the  way  to  the  triumph  of  the  will 
of  God  among  men. 

There  stand  the  friendly  citizens  of  that  little 
town,  however,  separated  by  apparently  impass- 
able barriers,  many  bitterly  sectarian,  with  per- 
haps not  more  than  a tenth  of  its  Church  mem- 
bership (and  let  us  wish  it  were  less)  that  can 
intelligently  state  why  they  are  separated  from 
other  Christians,  and  those  statements  would 
have  to  do  with  such  secondary  matters  regard- 
ing the  world’s  redemption  that  in  a few  centuries 
from  now  it  will  be  a question  as  to  which  age  of 
our  semi-civilization  the  religious  views  and  prac- 
tices of  the  twentieth  century  will  be  classified. 
The  condition  of  this  certain  town  can  be  dupli- 
cated in  every  city,  town  and  rural  community 
around  the  globe  from  Damascus  in  Syria,  with 
its  six  different  kinds  of  Christians,  to  the  Green- 
brier White  Sulphur  Springs  in  West  Virginia, 
with  its  two  little  Church  buildings  nestling  in  the 
valley  of  the  Alleghanies  and  affirming  that  the 
Church  of  Christ  is  divided.  It  is  a world-wide 
plague.  The  policy  is  false  and  therefore  the 
front  which  the  Church  presents  is  false.  Thus 
millions  are  hostile  to  the  Church.  They  see  no 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY ; ITS  NECESSITY  17 


advantage  in  its  fellowship  and  are  willing  to  go 
alone  without  the  Church.  Which  is  to  be  pitied 
most — the  Church  which  has  lost  its  way  in  sec- 
tarian entanglements  and  therefore  has  become  a 
hindrance  to  the  will  of  God  among  men,  anni- 
hilating itself  by  contradictory  beliefs;  or  the 
man  who,  in  consequence  of  this  condition,  seeks 
alone  for  the  paths  of  fraternity,  equality  and 
eternal  life? 

Because  of  the  superficiality  of  modern  Chris- 
tianity there  must  come  a Christian  agnosticism 
in  the  face  of  ultimate  problems,  which  we  can 
never  solve,  to  drive  us  away  from  our  cheap 
explanations,  until  the  whole  Church  finds  a vital 
faith  in  God  and  the  power  of  a crucified  love — 
these  appear  to  be  the  paths  extending  before  us, 
exceeding  in  importance  every  other  field  of  re- 
search and  presenting  a task  exceeding  in  great- 
ness anything  ever  undertaken  before  by  man. 
We  hear  much  about  the  undeveloped  resources 
of  electricity,  mineralogy  and  other  sciences,  but 
the  vastest  undeveloped  resources  are  in  the  do- 
main of  the  uncharted  and  unsounded  depths  of 
the  spirituality  of  God  and  the  human  soul.  We 
have  exploited  to  the  limit  hair-splitting  defini- 
tions of  all  terms  in  the  realm  of  theology  and 
invented  new  terms  to  satisfy  our  philosophical 
rovings.  Upon  these  definitions  have  been  estab- 
lished most  of  the  hard  and  fast  divisions  of 
Christendom.  While  it  is  true  that  this  practice 
is  not  so  common  now  as  formerly,  nevertheless 
the  results  of  this  practice  are  still  evident  when 


18  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  ? 


you  read  the  long  list  of  the  religious  statistics 
sent  out  by  the  United  States  Census  Bureau.  Is 
this  the  occasion  when  it  is  said, 

“He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  will  laugh; 

And  the  Lord  will  have  them  in  derision  ” ? ‘ 

This  condition  leads  each  of  the  many  Chris- 
tian communions  to  believe  that  it  is  a law  unto 
itself — that  because  it  is  separated  from  others  it 
is  accountable  only  to  those  with  whom  it  is  sepa- 
rated— thereby  dwarfing  love,  blighting  brother- 
hood and  shattering  the  spiritual  universe  into  as 
many  parts  as  there  are  parties  and  each  building 
up  itself  at  the  expense  of  pulling  down  what 
Jesus  came  to  establish.  The  time  has  come  for 
new  discoveries.  Action  is  already  overdue. 

• II.  The  present  day  crises  demand  a united 
♦Church.  In  the  glare  of  the  war  we  have  been 
able  to  see  conditions  as  perhaps  many  of  us  have 
not  seen  before.  Antecedents  present  quite  as 
interesting  a study  as  consequences,  but  we  are 
not  so  much  concerned  about  where  to  put  the 
fault  of  division  as  to  how  to  extricate  ourselves 
from  denominational  entanglements  in  order  to 
go  upon  our  task  in  a world-wide  witnessing  of 
Christ.  Present  conditions  block  the  way. 

The  American  Church  presents  serious  diffi- 
culties, especially  in  the  rural  districts.  Accord- 
ing to  governmental  statistics  only  forty-three  per 
cent,  of  the  rural  Churches  in  the  United  States 
are  growing,  eighteen  per  cent,  are  stationary  and 
’ Psalm  2:4. 


^CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  NECESSITY  19 

thirty-nine  per  cent,  are  losing.  But  if  there  were 
no  such  alarming  figures  the  issue  would  still  be 
the  same,  for  the  necessary  conditions  of  a di- 
vided Church  in  a rural  community  are  disheart- 
ening to  the  development  of  spirituality,  irre- 
spective of  numerical  growth.  These  conditions  » 
may  be  classed  under  three  heads : ( i ) Duplica-  , 
tion  of  effort,  (2)  bad  financiering,  and  (3)  mag-, 
nifying  non-essentials,  all  of  which  contribute  to  t 
the  weakening  of  vital  Christianity.  If  all  of  • 
these  conditions  do  not  exist  one  would  be  enough 
to  seriously  involve  the  teachings  of  Christ. 

In  a certain  village  of  nearly  eight  hundred 
people  there  are  five  Churches,  each  minister 
working  independently  as  though  he  were  the 
only  minister  in  that  community  and  duplicating 
the  work  of  the  other  three  ministers,  thereby 
presenting  an  ugly  and  unspiritual  front.  In 
financiering  those  five  little  Churches  five  home 
missionary  boards  are  sending  experienced  money 
raisers  throughout  the  country  to  raise  money  to 
support  these  five  ministers,  for  the  good  name  of 
the  denomination  is  at  stake.  But  with  what  the 
missionary  boards  contribute  in  addition  to  what 
each  little  congregation  can  raise  there  is  a con- 
stant deficit,  so  each  congregation  resorts  to  illicit 
methods  of  raising  money  by  having  fairs,  sup- 
pers, etc.,  strangling  at  the  outset  the  finest  pos- 
sibilities of  spirituality  which  is  vitally  dependent 
upon  giving.  One  or  two  of  these  little  Churches 
will  after  while  gain  sufficiently  in  members  to  be 
independent  of  the  home  missionary  board,  which 


20  IFNOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  t 


is  hailed  as  a denominational  triumph.  In  course 
of  time  all  five  may  become  independent  of  the 
missionary  boards.  But  this  scandalous  policy  is 
still  there,  only  better  established.  With  all  these 
frantic  efforts  the  average  salary  of  an  American 
minister  is  $636.00 — little  more  than  the  average 
salary  of  the  untrained  blacksmith,  which  is 
$537.00,  little  less  than  the  average  salary  of  the 
untrained  stableman,  which  is  $689.00,  and  little 
more  than  the  average  salary  of  the  untrained 
.carpenter,  which  is  $603.00.*  The  small  salary 
weakens  the  minister’s  best  efforts  in  caring  for 
the  spiritual  needs  of  the  congregation  by  the 
necessary  concern  for  his  own  family. 

* But  more.  Each  of  these  ministers  must  em- 
. phasize  his  denominational  peculiarities,  whether 
Roman  Catholic  or  Protestant,  such  as  customs 
regarding  the  ordinances.  Church  polity,  public 
worship,  etc.,  as  though  the  salvation  of  the  world 
hung  upon  these  things,  and  each  saying  so  loud 
to  the  other,  “ a more  excellent  way  show  I unto 
you,”  that  the  way  to  Christ  is  obscured  in  the 
controversies  of  the  followers  of  Christ.  The 
result  of  all  this  is  that  non-essentials  are  given 
primary  place  and  vital  Christianity  is  made  sec- 
ondary. In  many  instances  it  would  be  regarded 
as  a calamity,  especially  if  he  were  a liberal  con- 
tributor or  holding  a high  social  position,  for  one 
of  the  members  in  one  of  these  little  Churches 
to  transfer  his  membership  to  another  of  these 
Churches  because  of  a change  in  theological 

1 These  figures  are  based  on  the  salaries  of  1914:  to- 
day the  salaries  of  the  latter  have  doubled  and  tripled. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  NECESSITY  21 


viewpoint  or  for  matrimonial  or  social  reasons, 
and  it  would  perhaps  cause  more  talk,  and  longer 
talk,  in  this  little  village  than  if  a sinner  had  been 
won  to  Christ.  Whatever  else  may  happen  each 
denomination  must  hold  its  own ! I am  told  that 
Abraham  Lincoln  became  deeply  concerned  in  the 
matter  of  religion  some  years  after  his  marriage. 
On  informing  his  wife  that  his  choice  of  a 
Church  was  other  than  her  own,  Mrs.  Lincoln 
cried  all  night.  Next  morning  Mr.  Lincoln  in- 
formed his  wife  that  rather  than  cause  her  any 
distress  he  would  never  identify  himself  with  any 
of  the  Churches,  but  would  maintain  his  faith  in 
Christ  as  long  as  he  lived.  Whether  this  incident 
in  Mr.  Lincoln’s  life  is  true  or  not,  his  subsequent 
history  sustains  it  and  there  are  multitudes  of 
instances  that  parallel  it  in  nearly  every  commu- 
nity where  Christianity  is  known.  The  whole 
programme  is  unfair  both  to  Christ  and  the 
people. 

The  city  Church  is  not  yet  as  seriously  involved 
as  the  rural  Church,  but  it  is  approaching  it  and 
the  next  decade  may  find  it  there,  struggling  for 
existence  against  most  contrary  odds.  The 
larger  a city  the  more  difficult  it  is  to  get  an 
audience.  In  New  York  some  of  the  most  con- 
secrated and  brilliant  men  in  the  American  pulpit 
never  preach  to  full  houses.  Indeed  it  is  an  ex- 
ception which  calls  forth  comment  for  a Church 
in  any  of  the  large  American  cities  to  have  a full 
house  at  the  evening  service.  Most  of  the  large 
American  cities  are  becoming  as  heathen  as  India 


22  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  ? 


or  China.  The  midweek  services  are  being  for- 
saken in  most  of  the  city  Churches  and  thirty  to 
sixty  is  being  accepted  as  a satisfactory  attend- 
ance under  present  conditions,  where  the  service 
is  not  abandoned  entirely.  All  sorts  of  schemes 
of  prizes  and  rivalries  are  being  put  forth  in  the 
Sunday-school  rather  than  the  charm  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  to  increase  or  even 
hold  the  attendance.  The  public  school  does  not 
have  to  resort  to  such  a policy.  In  comparing 
the  two  one  appears  artificial  and  the  other  real. 
Around  public  squares  and  on  leading  avenues 
are  found  a great  variety  of  Churches  with  every 
possible  theological  interpretation — overcrowding 
and  overlapping — while  in  the  poorer  sections 
there  is  a scarcity  of  Churches.  Pride  of  de- 
nomination has  too  frequently  prevailed  over  con- 
cern for  the  common  good.  In  all  these  wealthy 
residential  centers  of  the  city  where  great  Church 
buildings  are  crowded  against  each  other  in  the 
attempt,  through  pride  of  denomination,  to  outdo 
the  other,  some  bold  hand  must  some  day  write 
in  letters  of  fire  across  every  such  Church  door — 
" Ichabod.” 

The  whole  world  has  awakened  to  the  needs 
and  possibilities  of  intellectual  development  as 
never  before  in  its  history.  Knowledge  is  power 
and  the  intellect  is  given  us  for  development,  but 
this  intellectual  development  must  come  under  the 
power  of  Christianity.  Not  to  speak  of  America 
and  Europe,  but  India  is  dotted  with  colleges  and 
universities.  China  is  putting  forth  a great  edu- 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  NECESSITY  23 


cational  system,  having  130,000  schools  with  an 
attendance  of  approximately  4,500,000.  She  al- 
ready has  six  universities  and  is  now  planning  to 
locate  a university  in  the  capital  of  every  prov- 
ince. The  Imperial  University  of  Japan  is  one 
of  the  best  educational  institutions  in  the  world. 
In  South  America,  Africa  and  the  islands  of  the 
sea  educational  institutions  hold  places  of  leader- 
ship. All  over  the  world  there  are  constant  ad- 
justments of  national  educational  systems  in 
order  to  reach  every  child  for  its  intellectual  de- 
velopment, but  education  is  not  merely  intellec- 
tual development.  Were  it  that  alone  it  would 
be  the  most  dangerous  force  in  a nation.  So  long 
as  religion  receives  a secondary  place  in  educa- 
tion, if  a place  at  all,  we  must  expect  intellectual 
development  to  be  a power  for  evil  as  it  was  in 
Greece  and  Rome.  When  they  were  highest  in 
intellectual  development  they  were  lowest  in 
morals.  Italy  was  never  worse  than  in  the  days 
of  the  Renaissance.  By  the  side  of  the  revival 
of  classic  learning  arose  vices  that  disgraced 
mankind.  Education  is,  as  Nicholas  Murray 
Butler  says  in  his  “ Meaning  of  Education,”  ” a 
gradual  adjustment  to  the  spiritual  possessions  of 
the  race.”  The  chief  of  detectives  of  Baltimore 
said  to  me  that  where  it  took  one  detective  to 
catch  a crook  forty  years  ago,  it  now  takes  ten, 
which  is  due  to  superior  intellectual  development 
of  the  average  young  man  over  former  years.  In 
one  department  of  criminality  in  the  United 
States — that  of  fraudulent  use  of  the  mails — of 


24  IFNOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


the  522  who  were  convicted,  106  were  college 
graduates  and  more  than  a dozen  were  the  vale- 
dictorians in  their  classes. 

Education  is  not  expressed  in  terms  of  intelli- 
gence, but  in  terms  of  conduct  and  character. 
The  function  which  education  has  to  discharge 
is,  according  to  Herbert  Spencer,  “ to  prepare  us 
for  complete  living.”  That  cannot  be  done  with- 
out Christianizing  all  modern  education.  Above 
all  the  teachers  of  ancient  and  modern  times  is 
Jesus  Christ,  Whom  the  multitudes  in  the  days  of 
His  flesh  called  “Teacher”  and  for  Whom  the 
multitudes  still  hunger.  But  His  principles  of 
education  cannot  function  through  a secular  or 
denominational  system.  One  is  as  disastrous  as 
the  other.  Because  of  the  multiplicity  of  divi- 
sions in  Christianity  the  directors  of  secular  sys- 
tems have  to  be  cautious  sometimes  to  the  extent 
of  exclusion  of  divided  Christianity,  however 
friendly  to  Christ  they  may  be.  Therefore 
Christ  is  held  back  from  the  place  as  teacher  by 
the  divisions  of  His  Church.  Because  no  de- 
nomination, Roman  Catholic  or  Protestant,  pos- 
sesses the  whole  truth  of  Christianity,  its  systems 
are  defective,  more  or  less,  especially  in  empha- 
sizing their  denominational  peculiarities  over  the 
common  good.  We  are  facing  the  gigantic  prob- 
lem of  Christianizing  the  education  of  the  world 
and  it  must  be  frankly  acknowledged  that  a 
divided  Church  cannot  function  in  such  a task. 
Therefore  the  secular  and  the  denominational 
schools  must  come  under  the  power  of  a imited 


CHEISTIAF  UNITY  : ITS  NECESSITY  25 


Christendom  if  Jesus  is  to  have  His  rightful  place 
as  the  world’s  teacher. 

The  ethnic  religions  are  awakening  to  Chris- 
tianity’s challenge  of  the  right  of  supremacy  to 
teach.  Both  Buddhism  and  Islam  are  powerful 
religions.  Both  are  missionary  in  their  policies. 
Islam  is  planning  to  capture  Africa  by  a chain  of 
mission  stations  across  the  continent  and  already 
more  than  a dozen  Buddhist  temples  dot  the  Pa- 
cific coast  of  America.  Lesser  religions  like 
Shintoism  and  Confucianism  are  likewise  proudly 
claiming  their  divine  right  to  teach.  Buddhism 
and  Islam  in  particular  are  inaugurating  systems 
whereby  whole  nations  may  be  held  to  their 
faiths.  They  are  training  their  children  on  the 
models  of  Christian  Sunday-schools.  On  the 
occasion  of  the  coronation  of  the  Emperor  of 
Japan  in  1915,  800  Buddhist  Sunday-schools  were 
started  with  an  enrollment  of  120,000  children 
and  these  figures  have  increased  every  month. 
They  have  their  Mothers’  Day,  Children’s  Day, 
Young  Men’s  Buddhist  Association,  and  in  their 
public  worship  they  sing  our  Christian  hymns, 
substituting  Buddha  for  Jesus.  They  have  their 
universities  and  some  of  the  best  educated  men  in 
the  world  are  in  these  ethnic  religions.  With  all 
their  prestige  and  traditions  it  is  nevertheless  be- 
ing generally  acknowledged  that  the  ethnic  re- 
ligions are  losing  hold  on  the  people,  but  it  is 
pertinent  to  ask.  Is  a divided  Christianity  pre- 
pared to  win  them  to  Christ?  My  answer  is  in 
the  last  report  of  the  religious  census  of  the  stu- 


26  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  ? 


dent  body  of  the  Imperial  University  of  Japan* 
Of  the  nearly  5,000  students,  6 are  Confucianists, 
12  Shintoists,  60  Christians,  300  Buddhists,  1,500 
Atheists,  and  3,000  Agnostics ! ‘ The  present  day 
crises,  whether  dealing  with  the  local  Church  or 
world  education  or  the  ethnic  religions  or  an  un- 
believing world,  is  a challenge  for  the  unity  of 
Christendom. 

* III.  The  vindication  of  Christianity  is  de- 

* pendent  upon  a united  Church.  The  advance  of 
. Christianity  through  the  world  has  been  marked 
. by  a succession  of  crises  in  its  encounter  with  va- 
. rious  forms  of  unbelief.  Out  of  these  struggles 

* Christianity  has  been  vindicated.  Unity  is  neces- 
. sary  for  its  vindication  in  the  present  crises. 

Christianity  arose  amid  conflicts  and  struggles. 
Its  first  encounter  was  with  Judaism.  It  found 
its  vindication  in  the  life,  death  and  resurrection 
of  Jesus,  and  the  four  Gospels  are  the  product  of 
that  conflict.  As  it  pushed  its  way  into  the 
Roman  Empire  paganism  yielded  its  decaying 
faith  to  the  bold  missionary  programme  of  the 
early  Church,  leaving  the  Acts  and  the  Epistles 
of  the  New  Testament,  along  with  the  apologies 
of  Justin,  Athenagoras  and  others  as  the  evidence 
of  its  right  to  be  heard.  Then  it  encountered 
pagan  philosophy.  Lucian  treated  its  advance 
with  a compassionate  smile  of  unbelief,  Celsus 
with  critical  ability  denied  the  supernatural  will, 
and  Porphyry,  perhaps  the  bitterest  opponent 
Christianity  ever  had,  combined  a brilliancy  and 
‘“Unity  and  Missions,”  by  Arthur  Judson  Brown. 


CHBISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  NECESSITY  27 


sagacity  that  made  him  a critic  of  extraordinary 
ability.  Others  had  attempted  to  check  the  ad- 
vance of  Christianity;  he  sought  to  abolish  it. 
But  equally  great  minds  arose  in  the  persons  of 
Tertullian,  Clement,  Origen,  Eusebius  and  Au- 
gustine, leaving  us  their  apologetic  writings  with 
the  witness  of  the  martyrs.  Then  came  the  con- 
flict with  barbarism,  which  swept  with  destruc- 
tion over  the  decaying  Roman  Empire,  but  the 
Christian  schools  of  the  Middle  Ages  with  their 
great  missionary  programmes  furnished  the  evi- 
dences of  Christianity’s  vindication.  So  with  its 
conflict  with  Islam.  A most  treacherous  foe  was 
modern  rationalism,  speaking  sometimes  in  terms 
of  the  Italian  naturalists,  or  in  terms  of  the  Eng- 
lish deists,  or  in  terms  of  the  French  atheists,  or 
in  terms  of  the  German  pantheists,  but  great  souls 
like  Bentley,  Berkeley,  Butler  and  Neander  spoke 
for  the  truth  until  under  wider  skies  Christian- 
ity’s vindication  was  again  evidenced.  But  ncJ  >• 
severer  conflict  has  ever  been  encountered  than* 
that  of  these  times.  Whether  it  is  more  severe  or  • 
less  severe  is  immaterial,  only  according  to  the 
logic  of  conflicts  this  would  be  the  most  severe. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  Christianity’s  vindication  in 
these  times  lies  by  the  way  of  a united  Church. 

That  we  may  focus  our  vision  aright  and  see 
through  the  storm  of  conflict  we  must  go  back  to 
the  days  when  Jesus  was  in  the  flesh  and  look 
with  Him  through  the  dissolving  mist  of  years. 

I cite  a few  quotations  from  Him.  Jesus  saw  the 
place  of  His  own  person  in  the  foundation  of  His 


28  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WH  AT  ? 

Church.  In  conversation  with  His  disciples  He 
says, 

“Upon  this  rock  I will  build  My  Church;  and  the 
gates  of  Hades  shall  not  prevail  against  it.”  ‘ 

The  Church  cannot  perish  out  of  the  earth  any 

• more  than  God  can  perish  out  of  the  universe. 

• But  that  is  no  reason  for  maintaining  divisions  in 

• the  Church,  bringing  it  to  the  brink  of  ruin.  A 
house  divided  against  itself  cannot  stand,  al- 
though in  their  separate  capacities  the  members 
of  the  household  may  go  on  living  separately 
without  speaking  to  each  other,  conducting  their 
social  and  business  affairs  with  some  kind  of 
satisfaction  to  themselves  and  outwardly  appear- 
ing to  be  getting  along  well.  Jesus  taught  that 
such  a house  has  fallen,  that  such  a course  is 
wrong,  and  He  applied  the  principle  to  the 
Church.  The  Church  is  divided  against  itself 
and  is  therefore  a fallen  institution;  and  more, 
what  nation  to-day  hesitates  to  smite  with  war  a 
sister  nation  because  of  the  presence  there  of  the 
Church?  The  various  divisions — Greek  Ortho- 
dox, Roman  Catholic,  Anglican,  and  the  multi- 
plicity of  Protestants — are  proudly  conducting 
their  affairs  as  though  each  were  the  whole 
Church.  However  satisfactory  the  annual  re- 
ports may  be  it  is  a policy  that  is  doomed  to  fail- 
ure. Not  even  the  Church  of  Christ  can  survive 
such  a departure  unless  there  come  a spiritual 
awakening  whereby  the  broken  threads  of  Chris- 

’ Matt.  i6 : i8. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  NECESSITY  29 


tian  brotherhood  shall  be  bound  into  a permanent 
unity  in  Christ. 

The  Church  has  its  faults,  to  be  sure,  and  we 
should  not  dodge  in  denying  them.  Its  members 
through  all  the  ages  have  been  of  like  passions 
with  ourselves.  Some — and  this  number  has 
been  far  too  large — have  loved  preeminence, 
thereby  being  more  properly  classed  as  the  dis- 
ciples of  the  self-seeking  Diotrephes  than  of  the 
self-sacrificing  Jesus,  but  I dare  say  that  there 
has  not  been  a communion  in  Christendom  where 
there  could  not  be  found  examples  of  genuine 
piety  and  true  devotion. 

Every  century  from  the  first  to  the  twentieth 
is  rich  in  its  testimony  like  that  given  by  Paul, 
Peter,  John,  Clement  and  Polycarp  of  the  first 
century,  Irenseus  and  the  liturgy  of  the  Greek 
Church  of  the  second  and  third,  Augustine, 
Chrysostom,  Ambrose  and  Basil  of  the  fourth, 
Gelasius  of  the  fifth,  Gregory  of  the  sixth,  Bede 
of  the  seventh,  Alcuin  of  the  eighth,  Alfred  of 
the  ninth,  ^thelwold  of  the  tenth,  Anselm  of  the 
eleventh,  Dan  Jeremy  of  the  twelfth,  Thomas 
Aquinas  and  John  Tauler  of  the  thirteenth, 
Thomas  a Kempis  of  the  fourteenth,  Savonarola, 
Erasmus,  Luther  and  Melanchthon  of  the  fif- 
teenth, Bishop  Andrewes,  John  Knox,  Francis 
Bacon  and  Lady  Jane  Grey  of  the  sixteenth, 
Jeremy  Taylor,  Matthew  Henry,  Fenelon,  Sir 
Matthew  Hale,  Bishop  Wilson  and  Leighton  of 
the  seventeenth,  John  Wesley,  Samuel  Johnson, 
Henry  Martyn,  Edward  Bickersteth,  Chalmers, 


30  IFNOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT! 


Channing  and  Heber  of  the  eighteenth  and  Henry 
Alford,  George  Dawson,  Boyd  Carpenter,  Cardi- 
nal Newman,  Pusey,  Maurice,  Robert  Collyer, 
James  Martineau,  Canon  Liddon,  Christina  G, 
Rossetti,  and  crowds  of  others  of  the  nineteenth 
and  twentieth  centuries.  I have  found  in  read- 
ing the  prayers  of  these  that  I have  been  better 
able  to  bring  my  petitions  before  God  than  in  my 
own  feeble  language.  There  was  Francis  of 
Assisi  in  mendicant  robes  with  crucifix  and 
rosary,  and  years  later  came  John  Woolman  with 
no  outward  signs  or  ordinances,  but  both  of  these 
were  followers  of  Christ  and  ten  thousand  others, 
showing  us  how  full  God’s  hand  is  of  sanctified 
jewels.  Evil  can  mar  the  Church,  but  evil  can- 
not absolutely  prevail  over  it. 

Discord  was  a part  of  the  picture  that  Jesus 
left  us.  That  memorable  conversation  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives  furnishes  the  second  quotation 
from  Him.  He  says, 

“ Then  shall  many  stumble,  and  shall  deliver  up  one 
another,  and  shall  hate  one  another.”  ^ 

If  the  tense  of  this  sentence  were  changed  from 
the  future  to  the  past,  so  as  to  make  it  read 
“ Then  did  many  stumble,  and  did  deliver  up  one 
another,  and  did  hate  one  another,”  it  would  be 
an  authentic  sentence  for  any  volume  of  Church 
history.  Jesus  not  only  knew  God,  but  He  knew 
man.  He  saw  the  fermentations  in  the  material 
out  of  which  He  would  make  His  Church.  It 
was  the  imperfect  man  that  He  was  dealing  with 
* Matt.  24 : 10. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  ; ITS  NECESSITY  31 


and  He  knew  that,  but  the  goal  of  the  imperfect 
was  growth  into  perfection — “ a glorious  Church, 
not  having  spot  or  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing ; but 
that  it  would  be  holy  and  without  blemish.”  ‘ 
We  must  face  the  fact  that  the  Church  has 
stumbled  through  the  centuries  and  is  still  stum- 
bling, that  brother  has  delivered  up  brother  to 
torture  and  death  and  that  brother  has  hated 
brother,  but  the  time  is  at  hand  when  the  Church 
needs  to  stumble  less,  to  teach  brothers  to  defend 
brothers  and  to  exemplify  love  to  all  irrespective 
of  denomination,  nationality,  race  or  class.  Once , 
it  was  said,  “ See  how  those  Christians  love  each . 
other!”  Years  after  it  was  just  as  appropriate  v 
to  say,  “ See  how  those  Christians  hate  each  , 
other  I ” While  conditions  have  greatly  im-  • 
proved,  there  could  not  be  found  a person  to-day « 
so  false  as  to  say,  “ See  how  the  Roman  Catholics  • 
and  Protestants  love  each  other ! ” Although  the  * 
cleavages  between  the  various  Protestant  com- 
munions are  not  nearly  so  wide  as  in  former 
years,  and  we  rejoice  in  this,  I think  any  one 
would  doubt,  however,  that  the  time  has  come 
when  love  is  the  characteristic  procedure  between 
all  the  Protestant  divisions.  Then  we  have  some 
distance  to  go  yet  in  the  unity  of  the  Protestant 
household  alone,  for  love  is  the  badge  of  Chris- 
tian discipleship.  Any  other  road  leads  us  away 
from  the  goal.  Only  on  that  road  can  we  walk 
so  long  as  we  are  seeking  for  the  unity  of  the 
Church  of  Christ. 


^ Eph.  s : 37. 


32  IFKOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT? 

In  His  high-priestly  prayer  Jesus  prayed  for 
the  unity  of  His  Church  in  words  trembling  with 
tears,  which  furnish  the  third  quotation  from 
Him,  He  says, 

“ Holy  Father  ...  I pray  . . . that  they  may 
all  be  one;  even  as  Thou,  Father,  art  in  Me,  and  I in 
Thee,  that  they  also  may  be  in  Us : that  the  world  may 
believe  that  Thou  didst  send  Me.”  * 

This  prayer  still  hovers  over  the  Church  like  the 
pillar  of  cloud  over  the  tabernacle.  It  is  both 
an  appeal  and  a method — an  appeal  to  God  with 
ourselves  as  witnesses  and  the  method  of  prayer 
as  the  channel  of  our  approach  to  each  other. 

• The  winning  of  this  world  to  Christ  is  a big  task 
•for  a united  Church — the  biggest  task  ever  under- 

• taken  by  mortal  man.  It  cannot  be  done  by  a 

• divided  Church.  There  is  no  more  idle  tale  than 
to  talk  of  the  divided  Church’s  winning  this 
world.  Victory  can  come  only  through  unity  of 
forces.  After  nearly  two  thousand  years  where 
is  the  nation  the  majority  of  whose  citizens  are 
definitely  in  fellowship  with  the  Church  or 
Churches  of  that  nation? 

. The  world  to-day  is  confused,  badly  confused. 
•Its  confusion  is  largely  due  to  the  confused 
. Church,  whose  leadership  is  lost  in  the  multiplic- 
, ity  of  divisions.  When  God  called  for  a prophet 
centuries  ago  the  prompt  response  was  “ Here 
am  I,”  but  in  these  days  of  confusion  the  stam- 
mering response  comes,  “ Where  are  we  ? ” 
Where  indeed  are  we  and  what  can  we  do? 

’John  17:21. 


CHRISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  NECESSITY  33 


There  can  be  no  more  serious  issue  than  that 
which  we  face  to-day.  The  greatest  need  of  the 
hour  is  the  vindication  of  Christianity.  For  more 
than  a thousand  years  the  Church  historians  are 
one  in  their  opinion  that  the  lethargy  of  the 
Church  in  the  sixth  century  afforded  an  oppor- 
tunity for  the  rise  of  Mohammedanism  and  its 
establishment  on  three  continents.  In  the  years 
to  come  the  charge  will  be  laid  against  the  Church 
of  this  day  that  because  of  its  divisions,  and 
therefore  its  unspiritual  attitudes,  the  whole 
world  is  under  the  domination  of  socijJ  and  eco- 
nomic wrongs,  culminating  in  the  disastrous  war 
of  1914,  which  was  one  of  the  most  brutal  wars 
of  all  history,  and  which  broke  forth  among  the 
most  Christian  nations,  demonstrating  the  power 
of  Satan  and  the  present  weakness  of  the  Church. 
At  the  crises  of  1914  organized  Christianity  stood 
helpless  in  every  nation  on  the  globe  and  was 
powerless  to  preserve  the  peace  of  the  world. 
Surely  division  has  its  fruit.  Whatever  may  be 
the  immediate  causes,  the  remote  cause  must  be 
laid  at  the  door  of  the  Church.  Sins  of  omission 
are  as  far-reaching  in  their  consequences  as  sins 
of  commission.  No  division  of  Christendom  can 
escape  this  responsibility.  We  are  all  involved, 
and  so  seriously  involved  that  these  times  chal- 
lenge the  Church,  not  only  for  a restatement  of 
faith,  but  both  for  the  readjustment  of  our 
methods  and  for  the  manifestation  of  a new 
spirit,  if  we  would  be  a factor  at  all  in  contribut- 
ing to  the  reconstruction  of  the  world. 


34  IF  NOT  A UIHTED  CHTJECH— WHATf 


In  His  prayer  Jesus  has  shown  that  the  secret 
of  the  world  conquest  lies  in  a united  Church — 
not  merely  a cooperation  of  denominations  nor  a 
federation  of  denominations,  however  good  these 
may  be,  and  they  are  good  as  far  as  they  go,  but 
Jesus  directed  us  to  go  beyond  these  into  a union 
of  believers  closer  than  that  between  brothers  of 
the  same  parents — a union  like  that  between 
Himself  and  the  Father,  There  are  possibilities 
in  Christian  life  far,  very  far  beyond  the  achieve- 
ments of  these  times.  Christ  came  to  save  a 
world  and  the  world  is  not  saved.  Its  tragedies 
succeed  each  other  as  though  the  Church  bore  no 
witness  against  their  iniquities. 

Jesus  looks  calmly  beyond  the  turmoil  of  strife 
and  schism.  In  the  fourth  quotation  He  says, 

“ Other  sheep  I have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold : them 
also  I must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  My  voice;  and 
they  shall  become  one  flock,  one  shepherd.”* 

As  the  Good  Shepherd  was  the  beautiful  symbol 
in  the  early  Church,  the  religion  of  the  Good 
Shepherd  must  be  the  religion  of  conquest  in  the 
latter  days.  The  most  ancient  Christian  gems, 
perhaps  the  very  first  gems  of  the  early  Church, 
set  forth  the  conception  of  the  spirit  of  Christi- 
anity in  this  favourite  figure.  Says  Canon  Far- 
rar, “ They  looked  on  that  figure,  and  it  conveyed 
to  them  all  they  wanted.”’  Theologians  and 
Church  councils  must  fade  as  the  Good  Shepherd 

*John  io:i6. 

’ “ The  Life  of  Christ  as  Represented  in  Art,”  by 
Frederic  W.  Farrar. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  NECESSITY  36 

comes  again  into  view.  Hear  Him  say,  “ I that 
speak  unto  thee  am  He,”  The  Good  Shepherd  is 
not  here  “ to  repel,  but  to  include ; not  to  con- 
demn, but  to  save.”  His  Church  must  rise  to 
His  Spirit  and  include  in  her  fellowship  all  who 
accept  Jesus  Christ  as  the  only  begotten  Son  of 
God  and  our  Lord  and  Saviour.  These  limita- 
tions are  sublimely  divine.  All  others  savour  of 
sectarianism. 

Of  the  necessities  that  face  us  it  may  be  said 
with  confidence  that  it  is  not  necessary  that  there 
should  be  Episcopal  schools.  Disciple  schools, 
Presbyterian  schools,  Methodist  schools.  Baptist 
schools.  Congregational  schools,  Lutheran  schools, 
Roman  Catholic  schools.  Church  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus  schools  nor  Old  Two-seed- in- the-Spirit 
Predestination  Baptist  schools.  No,  it  is  not 
necessary  for  Christianity  that  there  should  be 
any  of  these  schools,  any  more  than  that  there 
should  be  Episcopal  journals.  Disciple  journals, 
Presbyterian  journals,  Methodist  journals,  Bap- 
tist journals.  Congregational  journals,  Lutheran 
journals,  Roman  Catholic  journals.  Church  of  God 
in  Christ  Jesus  journals  nor  Old  Two-seed-in- 
the-Spirit  Predestination  Baptist  journals.  These 
are  not  the  necessities  of  Christianity,  but  both 
these  schools  and  these  journals  are  necessary  for 
the  perpetuation  of  division  in  the  Church  of 
Christ.  They  are  the  stilts  upon  which  a divided 
Church  walks  and  in  spite  of  these  the  Church 
has  survived.  The  great  necessity  of  these  times, 
however,  is  that  we  should  have  both  schools  and 


36  IP  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  ? 


journals  distinctively  Christian,  including  the 
thought  and  experience  of  the  whole  Church  for 
the  winning  of  the  whole  world  to  Jesus  Christ. 
It  is  not  that  these  schools  and  journals  should  be 
abolished  except  where  they  may  be  crowded  in 
some  centers,  but  all  should  be  interdenomina- 
tionalized  by  bringing  persons  of  other  com- 
munions on  the  board  of  trustees,  in  the  faculty 
and  among  the  editorial  force. 

The  times  are  serious.  Upon  our  consciences 
must  be  written  with  a pen  of  iron  that  Christian 
unity  is  necessary  because  without  it  there  can  be 
neither  a spiritual  Church  nor  a world-victorious 
Church ; or  to  phrase  it  in  other  words,  in  order 
that  the  Church  be  spiritual  and  world-victorious 
it  is  necessary  that  it 

“ attain  unto  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a fullgrown  man,  unto  the 
measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ.”^ 

The  necessities  that  lie  before  us  are  not  in 
forms,  ceremonies  and  declarations.  You  may 
have  these  abundantly  or  meagerly  and  be  with 
or  without  genuine  religion.  Neither  because  a 
thing  is  ancient  nor  because  it  is  modern  is  it  to 
be  a criterion  of  truth.  The  test  must  be  found 
in  awakening  that  true  nobility  of  soul  that  sets  a 
man  in  the  proper  attitude  to  God  and  to  his 
fellows.  Hence  the  necessary  steps  toward  the 
unity  of  the  Church  of  Christ  may  find  satisfac- 
tory expression  in  the  following  propositions : 

I.  A Christian  must  be  free  for  the  real  de- 
* Eph.  4 : 13. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  NECESSITY  37 


velopment  of  his  spiritual  nature,  free  from  the 
bondage  of  sin  and  free  to  live  the  life  of  the 
Spirit,  drawing  upon  the  ideals  and  experiences  of 
. both  the  past  and  the  present  without  the  dictates 
• of  external  authority. 

. 2.  A Christian  must  have  his  own  experience 

with  God,  the  outcome  of  his  own  faith,  issuing 
in  a life  of  penitence,  humility  and  service. 

, 3.  A Christian  must  have  fellowship  with  all 

. souls  that  have  fellowship  with  God  and  anything 
that  hinders  that  fellowship  is  essentially  evil  and 
its  abolition  is  as  imperative  as  the  removal  of 
anything  that  hinders  the  fellowship  of  the  soul 
with  God. 

4.  A Christian’s  life,  as  indeed  the  Church’s 
' life,  must  interpret  love  as  revealed  in  the  life  and 
death  of  Jesus,  accepting  it  so  fully  as  to  be  will- 
ing to  take  the  risk  it  involves  in  the  midst  of  a 
society  that  has  not  yet  accepted  it. 

These  propositions  are  reasonable  and  they  in- 
dicate clearly  that  we  must  go  beyond  where  we 
are  if  we  are  to  find  even  the  atmosphere  that 
shall  make  possible  the  unity  of  the  Church. 
Conferences  are  helpful,  but  conferences  alone 
cannot  unite  the  divided  Church;  working  to- 
gether is  helpful,  but  simply  working  together 
will  not  solve  the  problem;  there  must  be  divine 
power.  The  Church  is  the  offspring  of  God  and 
the  first  fruits  of  mankind.  It  can  only  survive 
by  fulfilling  its  mission  which  is  to  manifest  God 
to  men  and  to  unify  mankind  into  brotherhood. 
Neither  the  manifesting  of  God  nor  the  unifying 


38  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


of  men  can  be  done  apart  from  the  power  that 
comes  from  above.  Present  day  organized  Chris- 
tianity lacks  that  power.  Tragic  as  it  may  be  to 
acknowledge  it,  nevertheless  it  is  true  that  while 
we  are  increasing  in  Church  efficiency  and  Church 
activities,  we  are  not  producing  an  increase  in 
Christian  power.  We  have  grown  tremendously 
rich  in  material  things  and  profoundly  learned  in 
the  sciences  and  philosophies  of  the  world,  and  I 
know  not  but  that  Christ  is  saying  to  us,  as  He 
said  to  the  Church  in  Laodicea, 

“ Because  thou  sayest,  I am  rich  and  have  gotten  riches, 
and  have  need  of  nothing;  and  knowest  not  that  thou 
art  the  wretched  one  and  miserable  and  poor  and  blind 
and  naked : I counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  gold  refined  by 
fire,  that  thou  mayest  become  rich;  and  white  garments, 
that  thou  mayest  clothe  thyself,  and  that  the  shame  of 
thy  nakedness  be  not  made  manifest;  and  eyesalve  to 
anoint  thine  eyes,  that  thou  mayest  see.  As  many  as 
I love,  I reprove  and  chasten : be  zealous  therefore,  and 
repent.”  ‘ 

These  words  come  with  strange  appropriateness. 
Christ  speaks  to  us  in  the  accents  of  a love  like 
that  which  He  spoke  to  a divided  Judaism  in  His 
lamentation  over  Jerusalem.  Long  ago  He  came 
unto  His  own  and  they  did  not  receive  Him.  He 
is  appealing  to  us  to-day  by  the  condition  of  His 
Church,  by  the  condition  of  the  world,  by  His 
death  and  resurrection  and  by  His  Spirit’s  hunger 
In  us  for  spiritual  growth,  no  one  of  which  is  sat- 
isfied with  anything  less  than  a united  Church. 
Shall  we  heed  the  appeal  ? For  myself,  and  every 
* Rev.  3 : 17-19. 


OHRISTIAK  UNITY  : ITS  NECESSITY  39 


man  must  answer  for  himself  before  God,  I feel 
ill  at  ease  with  a sectarian,  the  man  who  is  ever 
contending  for  a side,  believing  that  it  is  not  pos- 
sible for  him  to  be  mistaken  about  the  things  on 
which  we  differ  and  maintaining  denominational 
superiority  and  aloofness.  It  is  immaterial 
whether  he  be  a Disciple  or  an  Episcopalian  or  a 
Baptist  or  a Roman  Catholic  or  a Presbyterian  or 
a Lutheran  or  a Methodist  or  an  Old  Two-Seed- 
in-the-Spirit  Predestinarian  Baptist,  I am  ill  at 
ease  with  him  because  I am  conscious  that  the 
thing  for  which  he  stands  I hate.  There  are 
multitudes  who  are  preeminently  Christian  first 
and  are  denominationally  affiliated  from  neces- 
sity. They  have  an  atmosphere  about  them  like 
the  golden  days  of  June  and  every  lover  of  God 
feels  at  home  in  their  company,  but  sectarianism 
is  an  intruder — uncouth,  unbrotherly  and  the 
damnable  heresy  of  Christendom.  I hate  it  and 
absolutely  refuse  to  wear  its  trammels  irrespective 
of  consequences. 

After  Cato  was  sent  to  arbitrate  the  differences 
between  the  Carthaginians  and  King  Masinissa, 
he  ever  afterwards  closed  every  speech  in  the 
Roman  senate  with  the  well-known  words : “ For 
the  rest,  I vote  that  Carthage  must  be  destroyed.”^ 

I close  this  lecture  with  these  words:  Sectarian-# 
ism  must  be  abolished.  Henceforth  let  no  man  * 
glory  in  his  denomination;  that  is  sectarianism:  • 
but  let  all  men  glory  in  Christ  and  practice  broth-  » 
erhood  with  men ; that  is  Christianity.  • 

* " Ceterum  censeo  Carthaginem  esse  delendam.” 


II 


CHRISTIAN  UNITY:  ITS  GROWTH 

^ ■ 'AHE  growth  of  the  Church  into  unity  is 
I as  true  to  its  origin  as  tulip  blossoms 

JL  are  to  tulip  bulbs.  However  schis- 

matic the  soil  the  seed  will  send  its  roots  into  all 
temperaments,  classes  and  nationalities  until  the 
best  in  them  will  furnish  nutrition  for  the  seeds’ 
growth  into  stalk  and  blossom.  Stormy  at- 
mospheres have  swept  and  will  continue  to  sweep 
around  its  tender  growth,  toughening  its  fibre  for 
a blossom  of  the  rarest  beauty.  If  there  were 
not  a single  sentence  in  the  Scriptures  relative  to 
the  unity  of  the  Church  the  fact  that  the  Church 
came  from  God  would  still  make  unity  its  ulti- 
mate and  normal  condition  biologically.  Living 
, things  grow.  The  growth  of  the  Church  into 

• unity  must  be  in  conformity  to  the  eternal  laws 

* of  life. 

But  to  the  Scriptures,  which  lie  before  us  like 
a landscape,  with  fertile  plains  and  beautiful  gar- 
dens, with  wooded  lands  and  swampy  meadows, 
with  rolling  hills  and  mountain  tops.  That  far- 
visioned  statement — “ Till  we  all  attain  unto  the 
unity  of  the  faith  ” — is  one  of  the  Himalayan 
peaks — so  far  in  the  distance  and  so  high  that  we 
can  scarcely  see  the  line  that  divides  the  moun- 
40 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  GEOWTH  41 


tain  top  from  the  sky.  Between  us  and  it  lies 
the  untrodden  country.  But  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
was  once  without  a path  across  its  three  thousand 
miles  of  waves;  likewise  the  skies  were  once 
without  paths  to  their  fascinating  heights;  and 
everything  to  which  men  have  attained  has  been 
seen  first  in  the  distance,  then  by  constant  ad- 
vance the  goal  has  been  reached.  We  recognize 
the  advancement  and  worth  of  the  sciences. 
Their  contributions  have  been  brilliant  and  ines- 
timable, but  the  greatest  contribution  to  these 
times  is  the  universal  awakening  of  a desire  for 
growth  “ unto  the  unity  of  the  faith.”  Waiving 
every  other  problem,  the  growth  of  the  divided 
Church  of  Christ  into  unity  must  hold  priority. 

* I.  The  Scripture  records  are  abundant  in  sus- 

• taining  the  concept  of  unity  in  the  early 

. Church.  Jesus  emphasized  the  principle  of  unity 

and  prayed  for  the  unity  of  His  disciples.  The 
first  move  of  the  Church  in  its  evangelistic  work 
was  breaking  down  the  walls  of  two  thousand 
years’  standing  between  Jews  and  Gentiles, 
thereby  marking  the  birth  of  a new  internation- 
alism. Jesus  is  the  Saviour  of  all  nations.  The 
Bishop  of  Oxford  truly  says,  “ Jesus  both  re- 
jected and  refused  to  associate  Himself  with  the 
current  patriotism  of  His  nation  and  positively 
laid  the  basis  of  universalism  in  His  dealings  with 
mankind.” ' If  these  national  walls  were  to  be 
leveled  by  the  love  of  God  manifested  among 
men,  how  much  more  every  other  barrier  is  to 
* The  Cambridge  Magazine,  May  25,  1918, 


42  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  t 


be  leveled!  Nothing  so  strongly  proves  the  fal- 
sity of  divided  Christianity  as  its  ability  to  create 
barriers,  when  its  original  purpose  was  to  abolish 
all  barriers.  Christianity  is  preeminently  a so- 
cial religion  and  a world  brotherhood  was  the 
dream  of  its  Founder,  who  so  beautifully  passes 
from  His  heart  to  ours  the  badge  of  discipleship, 
when  He  says, 

“ By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  My  disciples, 
if  ye  have  love  one  to  another.”  * 

, In  every  instance  the  apostolic  writers  sustain 
• the  concept  of  unity.  On  the  appearance  of  divi- 
sion in  the  Church  at  Corinth,  Paul  says, 

“ For  it  hath  been  signified  unto  me  concerning  you,  my 
brethren,  by  them  that  are  of  the  household  of  Chloe, 
that  there  are  contentions  among  you.  Now  this  I 
mean,  that  each  one  of  you  saith,  I am  of  Paul;  and  I 
of  Apollos;  and  I of  Cephas;  and  I of  Christ.  Is 
Christ  divided?  was  Paul  crucified  for  you?  or  were 
ye  baptized  into  the  name  of  Paul?  . . . And  I, 
brethren,  could  not  speak  unto  you  as  unto  spiritual, 
but  as  unto  carnal,  as  unto  babes  in  Christ.  I fed  you 
with  milk,  not  with  meat;  for  ye  were  not  yet  able  to 
bear  it:  nay,  not  even  now  are  ye  able;  for  ye  are  yet 
carnal:  for  whereas  there  is  among  you  jealousy  and 
strife,  are  ye  not  carnal,  and  do  ye  not  walk  after  the 
manner  of  men?  For  when  one  saith,  I am  of  Paul; 
and  another,  I am  of  Apollos;  are  ye  not  men?  WTiat 
then  is  Apollos?  and  what  is  Paul?  Ministers  through 
whom  ye  believed;  and  each  as  the  Lord  gave  to  him. 
I planted,  Apollos  watered;  but  God  gave  the  increase. 
So  then  neither  is  he  that  planteth  anything,  neither  he 
that  watereth;  but  God  that  giveth  the  increase.  Now 
'John  13:35- 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  GEOWTH  43 


he  that  plantcth  and  he  that  watereth  are  one:  but 
each  shall  receive  his  own  reward  according  to  his  own 
labour.  For  we  are  God’s  fellow-workers : ye  are  God’s 
husbandry,  God’s  building.”* 

What  burning  words!  The  low  spirituality  of 
the  Corinthian  Church  is  attributed  to  their  divi- 
sive and  party  spirit  with  a general  condemnation 
of  their  whole  policy.  It  is  one  of  the  severest 
of  all  Scriptural  indictments  and  applies  with  re- 
markable appropriateness  to  present  day  condi- 
tions. There  is  no  one  of  us  but  feels  that  the 
tides  of  spirituality  are  low — the  tides  in  my 
heart  and  yours.  A fundamental  part  of  spiritual 
life  is  communion  with  the  spirits  of  the  whole 
Church.  Denominationalism — including  Greek 

Orthodox,  Roman  Catholic,  Anglican  and  Protes- 
tant— narrows  this  communion  largely  to  those  of 
one  denomination,  thereby  dwarfing  the  whole 
spiritual  life  of  the  Church.  It  is  a common  thing 
to  look  to  all  other  causes  other  than  the  real  one. 
In  Paul’s  diagnosis  of  the  Corinthian  Church  he 
locates  the  cause  of  the  disease  at  once,  although 
by  so  doing  he  involves  his  own  name  in  a scandal 
for  all  ages.  If  his  words  had  been  written  in 
this  year  of  our  Lord  they  could  not  have  been 
more  applicable  to  us  now.  Substitute  for  the 
names  of  Paul,  Apollos,  Cephas  and  Christ  such 
names  as  designate  our  Christian  parties  to-day, 
including  my  own  party,  which  has  taken  the 
name  of  Christ,  and  it  is  as  clear  a violation  of 
the  apostolic  admonition  as  stealing  is  a violation 
* I Cor.  i:  II-I3;  3:  i-9- 


44  IFNOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT? 


of  the  eighth  commandment.  I am  not  accusing 
our  forebears.  I have  no  word  of  condemnation 
for  the  dead,  be  they  saints  or  sinners.  I am 
talking  about  ourselves.  I am  accusing  my  own 
heart  and  yours.  I am  not  at  ease  in  this  condi- 
tion. I know  that  the  thing  is  wrong.  I am  a 
partner  to  the  wrong  as  is  every  other  Christian — 
Greek  Orthodox,  Roman  Catholic,  Anglican  and 
Protestant — and  therefore  it  must  become  a mat- 
ter of  personal  concern  to  me  and  to  all  other 
Christians.  Every  Christian  who  denies  any 
such  partnership  and  therefore  any  concern  about 
the  matter  makes  more  bold  his  sectarianism. 
The  time  is  now  for  us  to  seek  with  earnestness 
for  a new  heart  in  our  attitude  and  disposition 
toward  the  will  of  God  regarding  the  unity  of  the 
Church,  abolishing  party  names  and  lifting  the 
name  of  Christ  above  its  divisive  capacity  to  its 
rightful  place  of  universal  dominion. 

Paul’s  condemnation  rested  upon  the  whole 
Corinthian  Church — those  who  took  the  names  of 
men  and  those  who  took  a divided  Christ.  Greek 
Orthodox,  Roman  Catholic,  Anglican  and  all 
Protestant  bodies  are  under  indictment  and  an 
indictment  that  indicates  we  are,  after  nearly 
nineteen  hundred  years,  not  only  involved  in,  but 
maintaining  with  considerable  satisfaction  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  policy  of  the  Corinthian 
Church — a policy  which  the  Apostle  so  severely 
condemned  as  to  classify  the  Corinthian  Church 
as  carnal  and  not  spiritual.  If  the  Corinthian 
Church  was  carnal  in  consequence  of  division  in 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  GEOWTH  45 


its  incipiency,  how  much  more  must  it  be  so  in  the 
Church  at  large  with  its  multiplicity  of  divisions, 
some  of  them  centuries  old!  We  must  face  the 
fact  that  we  are  now  in  the  period  of  babyhood 
in  our  religious  experiences.  Trammeled  by  the 
Corinthian  policy  we  are  working  against  diffi- 
culties which  can  never  be  remedied  except  by 
abolishing  the  Corinthian  policy  for  that  policy 
which  will  aid  the  Church  in  its  normal  growth 
into  unity. 

The  concept  of  imity  was  vital  in  the  faith  of 
the  Apostle  Paul.  Sentence  after  sentence  deal- 
ing directly  or  indirectly  with  this  theme  may  be 
found  in  every  epistle  which  he  wrote — some- 
times whole  paragraphs,  such  as  in  his  epistle  to 
the  Church  at  Ephesus,  when  he  says, 

“ I therefore,  the  prisoner  In  the  Lord,  beseech  you  to 
walk  worthily  of  the  calling  wherewith  ye  were  called, 
with  all  lowliness  and  meekness,  with  long-suffering, 
forbearing  one  another  in  love ; giving  diligence  to 
keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace. 
There  is  one  body,  and  one  Spirit,  even  as  also  ye  were 
called  in  one  hope  of  your  calling;  one  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  all,  Who  is  over 
all,  and  through  all,  and  in  all.  . . . And  He  gave 
some  to  be  apostles;  and  some,  prophets;  and  some, 
evangelists;  and  some,  pastors  and  teachers;  for  the 
perfecting  of  the  saints,  unto  the  work  of  ministering, 
unto  the  building  up  of  the  Body  of  Christ;  till  we  all 
attain  unto  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a fullgrown  man,  unto  the 
measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ;  that 
we  may  be  no  longer  children,  tossed  to  and  fro  and 
carried  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the 


46  IP  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WH  AT  f 


sleight  of  men,  in  craftiness,  after  the  wiles  of  error; 
but  speaking  truth  in  love,  may  grow  up  in  all  things 
into  Him,  Who  is  the  Head,  even  Christ;  from  Whom 
all  the  Body  fitly  framed  and  knit  together  through 
that  which  every  joint  supplieth,  according  to  the  work- 
ing in  due  measure  of  each  several  part,  maketh  the 
increase  of  the  Body  unto  the  building  up  of  itself  in 
love.”* 

Wonderful  picture!  Modest  as  Nature;  yet 
surpassing  in  sublimity  anything  in  Nature ! We 
talk  about  the  wonders  and  the  charm  of  the 
physical  world  such  as  the  Niagara  Falls  or 
Mont  Blanc  or  the  Grand  Canyon  of  Arizona  or 
the  rolling  ocean  or  the  star-lit  sky  or  the  richly 
coloured  sunset.  These  are  but  nursery  toys  by 
the  side  of  what  the  Apostle  has  flung  before  our 
vision.  We  are  haunted  by  this  lofty  ideal  be- 
cause of  the  possibilities  that  are  within  us  for  its 
attainment.  There  is  an  undeveloped  greatness 
in  every  Christian  far  beyond  where  he  now  is. 
To  get  out  of  the  narrow  spiritual  vision  of  these 
times  we  must  admire  the  great  things — the  great- 
ness of  the  Church  of  Christ,  which  extends  far 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  any  communion  in 
Christendom.  Knowledge,  experience  and  re- 
flection open  up  the  far  vistas  of  spiritual  possi- 
bility. Let  us  leave  petty  things  to  the  grave- 
yard, else  their  consideration  may  make  a tomb 
of  our  great  spiritual  ideals. 

The  deep  experiences  of  the  soul  give  atmos- 
phere to  the  growth  of  the  Church.  The 
Apostle  names  the  elements  of  the  atmosphere 
* Eph.  4:1-6;  11-16. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  GEOWTH  47 


for  this  development  in  such  terms  as  " lowli- 
ness,” “ meekness,”  “ longsuffering,”  “ forbear- 
ing,” “ love,”  and  ” diligence.”  These  elements, 
which  are  already  rising  in  the  souls  of  many  in 
the  various  communions,  have  in  themselves  the 
hope  of  a united  Christendom.  They  are  as 
modest  as  the  sun  and  penetrating  as  the  summer 
air,  enabling  soul  to  act  upon  soul  like  the  April 
atmosphere  upon  tulip  bulbs  and  violet  roots. 

. II.  History  is  replete  with  appeals  and  move- 
, ments  for  the  unity  of  the  Church.  The  voices 
• of  Origen,  Tertullian,  Augustine  and  others  in 
t the  period  following  the  Apostles  sounded  the 
, same  note  as  that  in  the  apostolic  writings.  The 
changes  in  matters  of  Church  government  in  the 
early  centuries,  especially  the  rise  of  the  episco- 
pate, had  their  origin  in  efforts  to  maintain  unity. 
These  changes,  however,  developed  an  ecclesias- 
ticism  which  hastened  the  great  division  of  1054, 
separating  the  Eastern  and  Western  Churches. 
But  still  there  were  yearnings  for  fellowship  with 
the  whole  Church  from  earnest  hearts  like  Ber- 
nard, who  says, 

“ Who  can  grant  me,  before  I die,  to  see  the  Church  of 
God,  such  as  she  has  been  in  the  primitive  times  ? " 

The  Protestant  Reformation  was  another  se- 
' vere  wrench,  leaving  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
% one,  but  paving  the  way  to  such  a multiplicity  of 
. divisions  among  Protestants  that  the  Roman 
Catholic  orator  Bossuet  exclaims, 

"Great  God!  Is  it  possible  that  upon  the  same  matters 


48  IPNOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


and  same  questions,  so  many  multiplied  acts,  so  many 
divisions  and  different  confessions  of  faith  are  neces- 
sary? . , . These  variations  fill  us  with  astonish- 
ment.” ^ 

Melanchthon  was  the  one  irenic  character  of 
the  Protestant  Reformation,  but  he  was  over- 
shadowed by  the  storm  of  bitter  controversy. 
Nevertheless  Calvin,  writing  to  Cranmer  in  1553, 
says, 

“ I should  not  hesitate  to  cross  ten  seas  if  by  this 
means  holy  communion  might  prevail  among  the  mem- 
bers of  Christ.” 

George  Calixtus  was  the  earliest  of  modem 
apostles  of  reconciliation  in  the  divided  Church. 
He  proposed  as  a basis  the  New  Testament  as 
interpreted  by  the  Apostles’  Creed.  Through  his 
efforts  the  conference  of  Thorn  was  held,  lasting 
for  months  and  being  participated  in  by  thirty- 
seven  Lutherans,  twenty-seven  Roman  Catholics 
and  fifteen  members  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
From  its  session  Calixtus  was  excluded  by  his 
Lutheran  brethren  and  identified  with  the  num- 
ber of  the  beast  in  the  Apocalypse.  In  one  of  his 
letters  written  in  gentleness  and  love  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  universities  of  Germany  he  says, 

“Iff  may  but  help  toward  the  healing  of  our  schisms, 
I would  shrink  from  no  cares  and  night  watchings,  no 
efforts  and  no  dangers  . . . nay,  I will  never  spare 

* “ History  of  the  Variations  of  the  Protestant 
Churches,”  Vol.  I. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  GEOWTH  49 


either  my  life  nor  my  blood,  if  so  be  I may  purchase 
the  peace  of  the  Church.”  * 

All  Europe  wearied  under  theological  dissen- 
sion. Hugo  Grotius  lent  his  great  intellect  to  the 
cause  of  peace  as  a statesman  rather  than  a theo- 
logian and  sought  an  adjustment  of  Protestant 
differences  with  a reformed  Roman  Catholicism. 
Leibnitz  and  Bossuet  conducted  a lengthy  corre- 
spondence in  the  same  interest.  Leibnitz  like- 
wise sought  reconciliation  between  the  Lutheran 
and  Reformed  Churches.  A group  in  the  theo- 
logical seminary  at  Frankfort-on- the-Oder  met 
constantly  in  search  for  some  basis  of  unity. 
Out  of  those  conferences  came  that  fine  state- 
ment of  Rupertus  Meldenius,  modified  frequently 
but  originally  given  as  follows : 

“ Unity  in  things  necessary,  liberty  in  things  unneces- 
sary, and  charity  in  both,  would  do  all  our  work.”* 

John  Dury,  who  devoted  his  life  to  the  cause 
of  union,  traveled  extensively  throughout  Eu- 
rope, advocating  the  abolition  of  party  names  and 
bitter  controversies  and  the  establishment  of  na- 
tional Churches.  It  received  favourable  consid- 

* Dowding’s  “ Life  and  Correspondence  of  George 
Calixtus.” 

* Richard  Baxter  in  his  “ True  and  Only  Way  of 
Concord  of  All  Christians  ” gives  the  translation  from 
the  Latin,  which  is:  "Si  in  necessariis  sit  unitas,  in 
non-necessariis  libertas,  in  utrisque  caritas,  optimo  certe 
loco  essent  res  nostrae.”  According  to  Bishop  John  F. 
Hurst  in  a lecture  delivered  at  the  Union  Theological 
Seminary  in  1896  and  published  in  “ Church  Unity,”  the 
first  mention  of  this  sentence  occurs  in  an  anonymous 
book  entitled  “ Paraenesis  Votiva,”  in  which  it  is  at- 
tributed to  Rupertus  Meldenius. 


I 


60  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  ? 

eration  from  many  Church  leaders,  but  the  death 
of  his  chief  patron,  Gustavus  Adolphus,  cut  short 
any  further  development.  Dupin  proposed  as  a 
basis  of  union  between  the  Church  of  Rome  and 
the  Church  of  England  compromises  on  auricular 
confession,  pope’s  supremacy,  religious  vows. 
Lenten  fasts  and  abstinence  and  celibacy  of  the 
clergy.  At  the  same  time  he  entered  into  nego- 
tiations through  Peter  the  Great  for  the  Greek 
Church  to  come  into  the  union,  but  Pope  Clem- 
ent XI  severely  censured  him  and  Louis  XIV 
dismissed  him  from  among  the  doctors  of  the 
Sorbonne. 

Richard  Baxter  preached  constantly  on  the 
necessity  of  a united  Church  and  wrote  numerous 
pamphlets  in  its  behalf.  In  his  “ True  and  Only 
Way  of  Concord  of  All  Christians,”  he  says, 

“ Unity  and  concord  is  the  Church’s  beauty.  It  makes 
us  amiable  even  to  the  eyes  of  nature  and  venerable 
and  terrible  even  to  the  eyes  of  malice.  . . . The 
concord  of  believers  does  greatly  conduce  to  the  success 
of  the  ministry  and  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  and 
the  conviction  and  salvation  of  ungodly  souls.  . . . 
When  Christ  prayed  for  the  unity  of  His  disciples,  He 
redoubled  His  argument  from  the  effect  or  end  (that 
the  world  may  believe  that  Thou  hast  sent  Me  and  hath 
loved  them).  Would  this  make  the  world  believe  that 
Christ  was  sent  of  God?  Yes,  undoubtedly.  If  all 
Christians  were  reduced  to  a holy  concord  it  would  do 
more  to  win  the  heathen  world  than  all  other  means 
can  do  without  it.” 

Page  after  page  rings  with  the  call  for  the 
unity  of  the  Church.  He  continues. 


CHKISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  GEOWTH  61 


" Why,  sirs,  have  not  Independents,  Presbyterians, 
Episcopalians,  etc.,  one  God,  one  Christ,  one  Spirit,  one 
Creed,  one  Scripture,  one  hope  of  everlasting  life?  Are 
our  disagreements  so  great  that  we  may  not  live  together 
in  love,  and  close  in  fraternal  union  and  unity?  Are 
we  not  of  one  religion?  Do  we  differ  in  fundamentals 
or  substantials ? Will  not  conscience  worry  us?  Will 
not  posterity  curse  us  if  by  our  divisions  we  betray  the 
Gospel  into  the  hands  of  the  enemies?  And  if  by  our 
mutual  envyings  and  jealousies  and  perverse  zeal  for 
our  several  conceits,  we  should  keep  open  the  breach  for 
all  heresies  and  wickedness  to  enter,  we  will  make  a 
prey  for  our  own  poor  people’s  souls.  . . . Let  us 
straiten  the  bond  of  Christian  unity  and  love,  and  help 
each  other  against  the  powers  of  hell,  and  join  our 
forces  against  one  common  enemy.” 

Edward  Stillingfleet,  afterwards  Bishop  of 
Worcester,  boldly  declared  the  form  of  Church 
government  a non-essential.  He  wrote  a stirring 
volume  under  the  title  “ Irenicum,”  in  which  he 
sought  for  common  ground  of  reconciliation  be- 
tween episcopacy  and  Presbyterianism.  He  says, 

“For  the  Church  to  require  more  than  Christ  Himself 
did,  or  make  the  condition  of  her  communion  more  than 
our  Saviour  did  of  discipleship,  is  wholly  unwarranted.” 

John  Owen  was  a tower  of  strength  among  the 
Puritans  of  his  day.  He  says, 

“ Wherever  there  is  a man  or  a body  of  men,  who  are 
united  to  Him  by  a living  faith  and  are  keeping  His 
commandments,  he  or  they  are  in  communion  with  the 
Church  of  God.  ...  But  I verily  believe  that  when 
God  shall  accomplish  it,  it  will  be  the  effect  of  love,  and 
not  the  cause  of  love.” 


62  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHURCH— WHAT  ! 


William  Chillingworth  pleaded  for  a return  to 
the  Scriptures  as  the  only  path  for  the  unity  of 
God’s  people.  Dying  in  prison  in  consequence  of 
his  faith,  he  says, 

“ Take  away  this  persecuting,  burning,  cursing,  damn- 
ing of  men  for  not  subscribing  to  the  words  of  men,  as 
the  words  of  God;  require  of  Christians  only  to  believe 
in  Christ  and  to  call  no  man  master  but  Him  only.” 

John  Wesley  makes  the  appeal  for  unity  in  the 
very  preface  of  his  “ Notes  Upon  the  New  Testa- 
ment.” He  says, 

“ Would  to  God  that  all  the  party  names,  and  un- 
scriptural  phrases  and  forms,  which  have  divided  the 
Christian  world,  were  forgot,  and  that  we  might  all 
agree  to  sit  down  together,  as  humble,  loving  disciples, 
at  the  feet  of  our  common  Master,  to  hear  His  word,  to 
imbibe  His  Spirit,  and  to  transcribe  His  life  in  our 
own!” 

Robert  Hall  pleaded  for  the  union  of  all  Qiris- 
tians  in  his  practice  of  broad  and  generous  prin- 
ciples. He  says, 

“ Nothing  more  abhorrent  to  the  principles  and  max- 
ims of  the  sacred  oracles  can  be  conceived  than  the  idea 
of  a plurality  of  true  Churches,  neither  in  actual  com- 
munion with  each  other,  nor  in  the  capacity  for  such 
communion.  Though  this  rending  of  the  seamless 
coat  of  our  Saviour,  this  schism  in  the  members  of  His 
mystical  Body,  is  by  far  the  greatest  calamity  which  has 
befallen  the  Christian  interest,  and  one  of  the  most  fatal 
effects  of  the  great  apostasy  foretold  by  the  sacred 
penman,  we  have  been  so  long  familiarized  to  it,  as  to 
be  scarcely  sensible  of  its  enormity;  nor  does  it  excite 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  GEOWTH  63 


suspicion  or  concern  in  any  degree  proportioned  to  what 
would  be  felt  by  one  who  had  contemplated  the  Church 
in  the  first  ages.  Christian  societies  regarding  each 
other  with  the  jealousies  of  rival  empires,  each  trying 
to  raise  itself  on  the  ruin  of  all  the  others,  making 
extravagant  boasts  of  superior  purity,  generally  in  exact 
proportion  to  their  departures  from  it,  and  scarcely 
deigning  to  acknowledge  the  possibility  of  obtaining 
salvation  out  of  their  pale,  is  the  odious  and  disgusting 
spectacle  which  modern  Christendom  presents.  The 
evils  which  result  from  this  state  of  division  are  in- 
calculable. It  supplies  infidels  with  their  most  plausible 
topics  of  invective;  it  hardens  the  conscience  of  the 
irreligious;  it  weakens  the  hands  of  the  good,  impedes 
the  efficiency  of  prayer,  and  is  probably  the  principal 
obstruction  to  that  ample  effusion  of  the  Spirit  which  is 
essential  to  the  renovation  of  the  world.”  * 

Alexander  Campbell  spent  his  life  in  the  ad- 
vocacy of  Christian  unity.  Of  him  Bishop  John 
F.  Hurst,  in  his  “ Short  History  of  the  Christian 
Church,”  affirms  “ Fetv  men  have  impressed 
themselves  more  profoundly  on  the  religious  life 
of  their  age  than  he.”  Campbell  says  in  his 
“ Christian  System,” 

“No  mortal  need  fancy  that  he  shall  have  the  honour 
of  devising  either  the  plan  of  uniting  Christians  into  one 
holy  band  of  zealous  cooperation,  or  of  converting  Jews 
and  Gentiles  to  the  faith  that  Jesus  is  that  seed  in  Whom 
all  the  families  of  the  earth  are  yet  to  be  blessed.  The 
plan  is  divine.  It  is  ordained  by  God ; and,  better  still, 
it  is  already  revealed.  Is  any  one  impatient  to  hear  it? 
Let  him  again  read  the  intercessions  of  the  Lord  Mes- 

* " The  Works  of  Robert  Hall,”  with  Memoir  by 
Gregory. 


64  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHURCH— WHAT  ? 


siah  in  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  John.  L,et  him  then 
examine  the  two  following  propositions,  and  say  whether 
these  do  not  express  heaven’s  own  scheme  of  augment- 
ing and  conservating  the  Body  of  Christ.  Nothing  is 
essential  to  the  conversion  of  the  world  but  the  union 
and  cooperation  of  Christians.  Nothing  is  essential  to 
the  union  of  Christians  but  the  Apostles’  teaching  or 
testimony.  Or  does  he  choose  to  express  the  plan  of 
the  Self-Existent  in  other  words?  Then  he  may  change 
the  order,  and  say — The  testimony  of  the  Apostles  is 
the  only  and  all-sufi&cient  means  of  uniting  all  Chris- 
tians. The  union  of  Christians  with  the  Apostles’  testi- 
mony is  all-sufficient  and  alone  sufficient  to  the  con- 
version of  the  world.  Neither  truth  alone  nor  union 
alone  is  sufficient  to  subdue  the  unbelieving  nations ; but 
truth  and  union  combined  are  omnipotent.  They  are 
omnipotent,  for  God  is  in  them  and  with  them,  and  has 
consecrated  and  blessed  them  for  this  very  purpose.” 

Scores  of  others  have  testified  for  the  unity  of 
the  Church — men  like  John  Milton,  the  poet; 
Johannes  Coccejus,  the  scholar;  Jeremy  Taylor, 
the  preacher;  John  Locke,  the  philosopher;  and 
in  more  recent  years,  Philip  Schatf,  the  theo- 
logian, until  the  bibliography  on  Christian  unity 
extends  into  thousands  of  volumes. 

Movements  in  the  interest  of  unity  have  arisen. 
Perhaps  the  most  notable  is  that  which  arose 
about  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church  under  the  leadership  of 
Thomas  Campbell  and  his  son  Alexander,  which 
was  first  called  the  “ Christian  Association  ” and 
afterwards  the  “ Disciples  of  Christ.”  The 
agreement  among  themselves  was  very  simple, 
being  an  irenic  effort  toward  a return  to  the  be- 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  GEOWTH  66 


liefs  and  practices  of  the  Church  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament times  in  order  to  help  in  finding  the  way 
to  the  unity  of  the  Church  of  these  times.  Being 
wearied  with  theological  dissension  they  sought 
for  the  simple  faith  of  the  early  disciples.  They 
had  not  the  slightest  idea  of  starting  another 
communion.  In  fact  they  sought  earnestly  to 
prevent  it.  Their  position,  however,  involved 
them  in  severe  controversies.  They  had  to  pay 
the  price  of  separation  for  their  convictions, 
thereby  adding  another  to  the  already  too  numer- 
ous divisions  in  the  Protestant  household,  and 
later  came  a division  among  themselves  over  mis- 
sionary methods  and  instrumental  music,  increas- 
ing the  scandal  to  two  bodies  in  the  United  States 
census  tables.  A movement  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Kentucky  arose  a few  years  earlier 
under  the  name  “ Christian.”  These  two  move- 
ments, however,  united  in  part  and  the  names 
" Christian  ” and  “ Disciple  of  Christ  ” have 
been  used  interchangeably.  They  have  become 
one  of  the  largest  religious  bodies  in  the  United 
States,  having  considerably  over  a million  mem- 
bers, with  their  missionary  stations  under  nearly 
every  flag  around  the  globe.  They  stand  primar- 
ily as  a witness  to  the  beliefs  and  practices  of  the 
New  Testament  Church  as  a contribution  to  the 
unity  of  the  divided  Church.  Unfortunately, 
however,  the  Disciples  frequently  yielded  to  the 
results  of  severe  controversies,  maintaining  in 
many  instances  a policy  of  aloofness,  which  is 
always  sectarian,  rather  than  a policy  of  inter- 


66  IF  NOT  A UNITED  OHUECH— WHAT  t 


denominational  fellowship  to  which  they  were 
originally  pledged. 

A few  years  later  at  the  instance  of  Frederick 
William  III,  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed 
Churches  effected  a union  under  the  title  of  the 
“ United  Evangelical  State  Church  ” in  Prussia 
and  six  other  German  states,  presenting  for  a 
time  a Protestant  imity  against  Roman  Catholic 
unity.  Neither  party  was  required  to  renounce 
any  important  doctrines,  but  dissension  arose  and 
in  a few  years  there  were  three  separate  Churches 
where  before  had  been  two.  The  union  move- 
ments in  Scotland  have  been  more  satisfactory, 
although  even  there  remnants  have  remained  out 
of  the  unions,  thereby  maintaining  the  divisive 
line,  as  was  the  case  in  the  union  between  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.  and  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  a remnant  of 
the  Cumberlands  refusing  to  go  into  the  union. 
In  1870  the  Old  and  New  School  Presbyterians 
reunited.  The  union  movement  in  Canada,  be- 
ginning in  1884  with  the  union  of  the  six  Method- 
ist bodies,  has  been  steadily  going  forward,  al- 
though occasionally  encountering  opposition.  In 
1911  the  Northern  Baptists  and  Free  Baptists 
united  their  general  work  preparatory  to  organic 
union.  The  three  largest  Lutheran  bodies  in  the 
United  States  have  united  under  the  name 
“ United  Lutheran  Church  in  America,”  and  the 
union  of  various  other  bodies  is  already  in  the 
atmosphere  of  friendly  conferences. 

Heartening  reports  come  from  the  lands  be- 


OHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  GEOWTH  67 


yond  America.  The  various  Presbyterian  bodies 
and  the  Reformed  have  united  in  Japan  under  a 
common  name;  likewise  union  has  been  effected 
between  these  bodies  in  India,  China,  Korea, 
Mexico  and  Brazil.  The  Lutheran  bodies  in 
India  .have  united;  likewise  the  Methodists  in 
Japan  as  they  have  in  New  Zealand.  The  Angli- 
cans of  England,  Canada  and  the  United  States 
have  united  in  China,  Japan  and  India.  Union 
schools  and  hospitals  have  been  established  in 
China,  India,  the  Philippines,  South  America  and 
elsewhere,  as  for  instance,  in  the  Nanking  uni- 
versity, theological  school  and  hospital  the 
Presbyterians,  Methodists,  Northern  Baptists 
and  Disciples  have  united  in  that  common 
task. 

The  formation  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  in 
1846  was  a definite  step  toward  unity.  The  pro- 
posal from  the  House  of  Bishops  of  the  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Church  in  1886,  in  which  the  Pan- 
Anglican  Council  of  Bishops  at  Lambeth  Palace 
in  1888  joined,  opened  one  of  the  most  interesting 
and  profitable  discussions  on  Christian  unity.  It 
especially  marked  the  irenic  element  entering 
largely  into  the  discussion  of  a united  Christen- 
dom. A few  years  after  came  proposals  from 
the  Congregational  Church  and  still  later  move- 
ments in  behalf  of  unity  arose  generally  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  world.  The  National  Council 
of  the  Evangelical  Free  Churches  of  England 
was  organized  in  1895  for  facilitating  intercourse 
and  cooperation  among  Evangelical  Free 


68  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH~WH  AT  ? 


Churches.  The  Association  for  the  Promotion 
of  the  Unity  of  Christendom  had  its  origin  a few 
years  earlier.  Its  purpose  is  intercessory  prayer 
for  the  reunion  of  the  Greek  Orthodox,  Roman 
Catholic  and  Anglican  communions.  In  1896  the 
Churchman’s  Union  was  organized  for  the  pur- 
pose of  cultivation  of  friendly  relations  between 
the  Church  of  England  and  all  other  Christian 
bodies. 

The  twentieth  century  opened  with  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Christian  Unity  Association  of  Scot- 
land, which  seeks  to  maintain,  foster  and  express 
the  consciousness  of  the  underlying  unity  that  is 
shared  by  the  many  members  of  the  different 
Churches  in  Scotland.  In  1906  and  1907  eighteen 
resolutions  were  passed  by  a conference  in  Mel- 
bourne composed  of  representatives  of  the 
Church  of  England  in  Australia  and  Tasmania 
and  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Australia ; later, 
in  1911,  these  resolutions  became  the  basis  of  a 
conference  in  New  York  between  Episcopalians 
of  the  Christian  Unity  Foundation  and  Presbyte- 
rians; and  in  1912  between  Episcopalians  and 
Congregationalists ; and  in  1913  between  Episco- 
palians and  Disciples.^  In  1908  the  Federal 
Cotmcil  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  America 
was  organized  for  cooperation  of  the  various 
Protestant  communions  in  service  rather  than  in 
an  attempt  to  unite  upon  definitions  of  theology 
and  polity.  Church  federations  among  Protestant 

* These  resolutions  are  published  in  “ Towards  Chris- 
tian Unity”  by  Peter  Ainslie. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  GEOWTH  69 


bodies  have  become  the  generally  accepted  pro- 
cedure in  most  of  the  countries  of  the  world. 

The  Edinburgh  missionary  conference  marked 
another  definite  step  toward  unity.  In  1910  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Christian  Unity  Foundation 
was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  promoting 
Christian  unity  throughout  the  world  by  research 
and  conference.  In  that  same  year  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  Commission  on  a World  Con- 
ference on  Faith  and  Order  was  appointed. 
They  have  held  a preparatory  American  confer- 
ence and  have  sent  three  deputations  abroad — 
the  first  to  the  Church  of  England  and  the  second 
to  the  non-Anglican  Churches  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland,  and  the  third  to  Europe  for  a visita- 
tion to  the  continental  Churches.*  On  the  same 
day,  October  19,  1910,  that  the  Episcopalians 
appointed  their  commission  the  Disciples’  Asso- 
ciation for  the  Promotion  of  Christian  Unity  was 
organized  for  the  purpose  of  intercessory  prayer, 
friendly  conferences  and  distribution  of  irenic 
literature  in  behalf  of  Christian  unity.  This  or- 
ganization named  Pentecost  Sunday  as  the  day 
for  special  prayers  for  and  sermons  on  Christian 
unity  in  all  Churches.*  The  Presbyterians  al- 
ready had  a committee  on  Church  Cooperation 
and  Union.  That  year  the  Congregatlonalists  ap- 
pointed a Committee  on  Comity,  Federation  and 
Unity.  In  1911  the  Fellowship  movement  was 
started  in  England  for  the  cultivation  of  corpor- 
ate prayer  and  thought  for  a new  spiritual  fellow- 
^ See  Appendix. 


60  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


ship  and  communion  with  all  branches  of  the 
Christian  Church.  The  Kikuyu  conference  in 
British  East  Africa  in  1913  included  Anglicans, 
Presbyterians,  Friends,  Methodists,  Seventh  Day 
Adventists  and  the  African  Inland  Mission,  with 
the  prospects  of  the  ultimate  union  of  the  native 
Churches,  but  the  protest  from  the  Bishop  of 
Zanzibar  brought  a cancellation  of  all  the  agree- 
ments. However,  a second  conference  was  held 
in  Kikuyu  in  1918.  In  that  year  the  Second  In- 
terim Report  of  the  British  committee  appeared ; ‘ 
likewise  that  year  came  the  call  from  the  Scanda- 
navian  Churches  through  Archbishop  Nathan 
Soderblom.^  In  that  same  year  the  General  As- 
sembly of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U. 
S.  A.  convened  in  Philadelphia  a council  on 
organic  union  of  all  evangelical  Protestant 
Churches  of  America.  An  ad  interim  com- 
mittee representing  sixteen  Protestant  bodies 
was  appointed  to  meet  monthly  for  conference 
relative  to  defining  a plan  of  procedure.  In  1919 
came  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  of  North 
America  for  discovering  the  facts  and  projecting 
an  adequate  programme  for  Protestantism  in  the 
world.  If  the  hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars 
which  this  organization  is  raising  are  not  ad- 
ministered interdenominationally,  but  instead  are 
administered  denominationally,  it  will  strengthen 
sectarianism,  for  there  is  not  a denomination  in 
Christendom  that  can  be  entrusted  with  great 
sums  of  money  without  that  denomination’s  at- 
^ See  Appendix. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  GEOWTH  61 


tempting  to  strengfthen  its  denominational  bound- 
aries and  thereby  for  a time  defeating  the  will 
of  God  on  earth.  Sectarianism  will  contend  to 
the  last  ditch,  but  these  movements  for  co- 
operation and  unity  are  rising  upon  such  perma- 
nent bases  and  advancing  so  positively  toward 
larger  fellowships  that  they  are  constantly  fur- 
nishing outlets  to  ventures  of  faith. 

Movements  not  dealing  directly  with  Christian 
unity  have  arisen  and  contributed  directly  to  its 
interests,  such  as  the  Young  Men’s  Christian 
Association,  the  Young  Women’s  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, the  Christian  Endeavour  Society,  the 
Woman’s  Christian  Temperance  Union,  Inter- 
national Sunday-school  lessons,  the  Student 
Volunteers  and  the  Laymen’s  Missionary  Move- 
ment. This  catalogue  of  unions,  unity  organiza- 
tions, federations,  conferences  and  interdenomi- 
national organizations  might  continue,  including 
many  organizations  and  conferences  as  important 
as  those  I have  named.  Christian  unity  is  on  the 
lips  of  the  multitudes  to-day  and  is  gradually  be- 
coming as  universal  in  its  discussion  as  political 
democracy.  It  has  grown  in  spite  of  protests, 
bitter  controversies  and  uncharitable  practices, 
until  its  reasonableness  is  finding  place  in  the 
thought  of  the  world. 

III.  The  outstanding  and  definite  proposals* 
for  unity  in  these  times  may  be  summed  up  under  ♦ 
those  proposals  that  have  been  presented  through  * 
the  years  by  the  Roman  Catholics,  by  the  Protes- 1 
tant  Episcopalians  and  by  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  I 


62  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WH  AT  ! 


Others  have  spoken  from  time  to  time  regarding 
Christian  unity,  especially  the  Presbyterians  and 
the  Congregationalists,  but  the  three  bodies  named 
have  made  this  their  theme  in  season  and  out  of 
season  until  it  is  not  unfair  to  others  to  single 
.out  these  three.  The  first  centers  in  papal 
• supremacy,  the  second  in  the  episcopate,  and  the 
'third  in  a democracy,  with  Christ  as  the  over- 
t ruling  Head,  however,  in  all  three  proposals. 

To  be  perfectly  accurate  regarding  the  Roman 
Catholics,  I asked  his  Eminence,  Cardinal  Gib- 
bons, to  state  in  his  own  language  the  proposals 
of  the  Roman  Catholics.  This  he  has  kindly 
done  in  a personal  letter  in  the  following  state- 
ment: 

“ I heartily  join  in  the  effort  for  Christian 
unity,  for  schism  is  a curse,  whereas  union  is  a 
blessing,  But  Jesus  Christ  has  pointed  out  the 
only  means  by  which  this  unity  can  be  brought 
about  and  maintained,  viz.,  the  recognition  of 
Peter  and  his  successors  as  the  Head  of  the 
Church.  Build  upon  this  foundation  and  you 
will  not  erect  a tower  of  Babel,  nor  build  upon 
sand.  If  all  Christian  sects  were  imited  with  the 
center  of  unity,  then  the  scattered  hosts  of  Chris- 
tendom would  form  an  army  which  atheism  and 
infidelity  could  not  long  withstand.  Then,  in- 
deed, all  could  exclaim  with  Balaam : ‘ How 
beautiful  are  thy  tabernacles,  O Jacob,  and  thy 
tents,  O Israel.’  ” 

The  proposals  of  the  Protestant  Episcopalians 
in  1886  and  concurred  in  by  the  Church  of  Eng- 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  GEOWTH  63 


land  in  1888  are  contained  in  the  Chicago-Lam- 
beth  articles,  which  are  as  follows : 

“ 1.  The  Holy  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  as  the  revealed  word  of  God. 

“ II.  The  Nicene  Creed  as  the  sufficient  state- 
ment of  the  Christian  faith. 

“ III.  The  two  sacraments, — Baptism  and  the 
Supper  of  the  Lord, — ministered  with  unfailing 
use  of  Christ’s  words  of  institution,  and  of  the 
elements  ordained  by  Him. 

“ IV.  The  Historic  Episcopate,  locally  adapted 
in  the  methods  of  its  administration  to  the  vary- 
ing needs  of  the  nations  and  peoples  called  of 
God  into  the  unity  of  His  Church.” 

The  proposals  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  may 
be  stated  as  follows: 

(1)  A catholic  name  for  individuals,  such  as 
“ Disciples,”  “ Christians,”  etc.,  and  for  the  whole 
body,  “Church  of  Christ,”  “Church  of  God,” 
“ Christian  Church,”  etc. 

(2)  A catholic  creed  such  as  expressed  in  the 
words  of  the  Apostle  Peter,  “Thou  art  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God.” 

(3)  catholic  book — the  holy  Scriptures — 
as  sufficient  for  the  rule  of  Christian  life. 

(4)  A catholic  administration  of  the  or- 
dinances of  Baptism  and  the  Lord’s  Supper  as 
practiced  in  the  New  Testament  times  and  with 
the  use  of  Christ’s  words. 

(5)  A catholic  polity  of  Church  government, 
recognizing  the  universal  suffrage  and  priesthood 
of  all  believers. 


64  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


(6)  A catholic  brotherhood,  holding  fellow- 
ship in  the  Lord’s  Supper  with  all  who  have  re- 
ceived Jesus  as  Lord  and  Saviour. 

It  must  be  recognized  that  some  of  the  most 
distinguished  people  in  the  history  of  the  world 
have  held  membership  in  the  bodies  represented 
by  these  three  proposals  and  at  the  same  time 
there  have  been  among  them  some  of  the  most 
devout  souls  in  the  history  of  the  whole  Church. 
Consequently  these  proposals  are  on  equality  and 
deserve  equally  courteous  consideration.  It  is 
not  my  purpose  to  discuss  them  at  this  time.* 
They  must  stand  on  their  merits.  Only  it  seems 
preeminently  pertinent  to  inquire.  Have  they 
functioned  well  in  behalf  of  Christian  unity?  To 
this  hard  question  one  must  face  the  answers. 
To  the  first  proposals  the  answer  is  in  the  severe 
division  of  the  eleventh  century  and  the  severer 
division  of  the  sixteenth  century;  to  the  second 
proposals  the  answer  is  in  the  three  divisive  and 
unreconciled  episcopates  and  several  smaller 
episcopates;  to  the  third  proposals  the  answer  is 
in  the  division  of  about  four  hundred  thousand 
members  going  off  on  such  minor  matters  as 
missionary  methods  and  Church  music.  What- 
ever one  may  think  of  these  answers,  which  are 
the  cold  facts  of  history,  the  growth  of  Christian 
unity  out  of  which  these  have  come  and  of  which 
these  are  parts,  must  find  its  blossom  in  an  atmos- 
phere more  pregnant  with  the  Spirit  of  our  Lord 

’ In  the  author’s  Yale  Lectures  “ The  Message  of  the 
Disciples  for  the  Union  of  the  Church,”  he  discusses  the 
Disciples,  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co. 


CHEISTIAN  UIHTY : ITS  GEOWTH  65 


Jesus  Christ.  Our  need  is  not  so  much  for  a 
plan  as  for  a spirit — the  Spirit  of  Christ.  A 
common  creed  will  not  solve  the  problem;  only 
a common  spirit  will — the  Spirit  of  the  common 
Saviour  of  us  all  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
believe  in  Him.  “If  any  man  hath  not  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His.”  We  are  not 
depending  so  much  upon  a common  experience 
for  the  way  to  unity  as  upon  a common  revela- 
tion. Christianity  is  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord. 

It  is  important  to  remember  that  birds  do  not 
go  back  into  their  shells,  that  tulip  blossoms  do 
not  go  back  into  their  bulbs,  that  Christianity 
could  not  go  back  into  Judaism  and  that  Protes- 
tantism cannot  go  back  under  the  rule  of  Rome. 
Neither  can  Protestantism  remain  where  it  is, 
for  it  was  only  partially  triumphant  in  the  six- 
teenth century  Reformation,  which  is  attested  by 
the  divisions  among  Protestants  and  their  semi- 
Roman  theologies,  especially  those  pertaining  to 
the  unexplainable  things  in  religion.  The  prin- 
ciples of  biology  must  prevail  if  our  growth  is 
to  be  toward  God.  The  nearer  we  get  to  truth, 
the  more  simple  and  comprehensive  it  is,  as  the 
more  of  God  we  possess,  the  more  humble  and 
willing  we  are.  Christianity  is  not  a system  of 
concealment,  but  instead  is  the  way  to  the  full 
and  complete  revealing  of  truth. 

It  is  likewise  important  to  remember  that  an  * 
ecclesiastical  unity  like  that  of  Rome  is  both  un-  < 
desirable  and  impossible,  nor  is  a multiplicity  of  ' 


66  IFNOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT! 


. denominations  as  in  Protestantism  desirable.  It 
may  be  said  here  also  that  no  student  of  this  prob- 
lem is  looking  for  unity  by  the  way  of  uniformity, 
any  more  than  one  looks  for  uniformity  in  a man 
and  woman  when  they  marry  in  that  they  shall 
have  the  same  colour  of  eyes,  the  same  colour  of 
hair,  be  the  same  height,  be  the  same  weight,  etc. 
No,  we  do  not  look  for  unity  by  any  such  uni- 
formity, but  we  do  look  for  the  man  and  the 
woman  who  marry  to  conform  to  the  will  of  God 
in  staying  married  and  not  conform  to  their  wills 
and  caprices  in  getting  divorced.  Christ  can 
have  but  one  bride,  but  organized  Christianity 
has  proudly  made  of  Him  a polygamous  Lord 
with  nearly  two  hundred  brides,  some  of  these 
brides  claiming  Him  exclusively  their  own,  while 
others  willingly  share  Him  with  the  other  brides 
' of  Christendom,  but  in  either  event  a divided 
» Church  fosters  polygamy  upon  Jesus  Christ, 
, making  Him  the  husband  of  many  brides  instead 
“of  the  husband  of  one.  Happily  it  appears  sure 
that  for  a united  Christendom  we  must  go 
beyond  any  one  of  the  present  Christian  or- 
ganizations, for  it  must  be  frankly  said  that, 
after  surveying  the  Church  forces  of  the  whole 
world,  there  is  no  organized  Church  to-day 
that  meets  the  need.  The  first  step  toward 
unity,  however,  appears  to  be  the  unity  of  the 
Protestant  household,  for  if  the  Protestants  can- 
not get  together  there  need  be  no  further  talk, 
for  the  present  at  least,  about  the  unity  of  the 
other  parts  of  Christendom.  This  Protestant 


CHEISTIAU  UNITY : ITS  GEOWTH  67 


unity  is  possible  now  with  liberty  in  matters  of 
forms,  organizations,  etc.,  but  it  must  be  a unity 
in  Christ  as  Lord  and  Saviour  and  a coopera- 
tive brotherhood  that  is  not  so  much  concerned 
with  getting  its  rights  as  it  is  in  manifesting  the 
will  of  God  in  the  attitude  of  brother  to  brother 
in  all  international  social,  economic  and  spiritual 
relations. 

Blossoms  are  the  promises  of  fruit.  Since  in 
these  times  the  blossoms  of  Christian  unity  are  in 
evidence  around  the  world,  we  must  be  coura- 
geous in  our  expectations  of  the  fruit  and  at  the 
same  time  be  bold  in  our  ventures  of  faith,  for 
ventures  are  the  footprints  of  prophecies.  Unity 
may  not  come  as  we  expect  it.  The  atmosphere 
of  these  times  is  too  cloudy  for  us  to  see  clearly, 
but  that  need  not  affect  our  confidence  in  the  rule 
of  the  will  of  God.  The  unity  of  Christendom 
must  find  its  basis  in  Christ,  satisfactory  to  Him, 
Who  is  our  Lord,  and  to  all  Christians,  who  are 
our  brothers.  Present  day  transactions  are  show- 
ing us  that  the  trend  of  affairs  is  away  from 
ecclesiastical  autocracy  and  is  toward  Christian 
democracy.  All  autocratic  ecclesiasticisms  will 
change  or  decay.  Times  are  changing  and 
changing  rapidly.  According  to  Professor  Guyot 
the  plant  life  is  divided  into  three  periods.  The 
first  is  very  slow,  the  second  is  more  rapid  and 
the  third  is  of  whirling  rapidity.  The  first  is  the 
time  of  the  roots’  getting  fast  hold  on  the  earth, 
the  second  is  the  stem  shooting  up  and  the  third 
is  the  period  of  blossom  and  fruit. 


68  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WH  AT  t 


• It  is  so  with  the  Church.  In  the  first  period 

• the  roots  were  taking  hold  in  the  depths  of  our 
’ humanity.  It  was  a long  period  and  sometimes 

it  seemed  that  the  darkness  almost  obscured  the 
light,  but  there  were  noble  souls  in  those  days.  I 
doubt  not  but  if  we  had  been  living  in  the  time  of 
Francis  of  Assisi  even  some  of  us  would  have 
been  Franciscans  and  some  of  our  women  would 
have  been  disciples  of  Catherine  of  Genoa.  That 
type  of  religion  has  passed,  but  those  days  had 
their  problems  and  Christ  was  not  without  His 
witnesses.  The  roots  of  a living  faith  went  down, 
down  into  our  humanity. 

. In  the  second  period  the  plant  has  been  sending 
. up  its  stem,  toughening  and  growing  in  these  days 
. of  Christian  activity  and  world-wide  service. 

• We  have  already  seen  the  necessity  of  closer  co- 
‘ operation.  Multitudes  of  us  are  feeling  that  the 

time  has  come  when  we  must  stand  together. 
•Federation  is  a contribution  to  this  end  and  at 
•the  same  time  is  a prophecy  of  closer  affiliation. 
.We  gladly  use  it  now,  but  we  are  eagerly  look- 

• ing  to  the  time  when  there  shall  be  a united 
. Church  in  full  conformity  to  the  prayer  of  our 
‘Lord,  for  nothing  else  will  satisfy  this  divine 
'dream.  Some  day  the  third  period  will  be  upon 
- us.  I know  not  when  nor  how,  but  God’s  or- 
‘chards  will  be  in  full  bloom  and  the  fruit  will  be 
*a  united  Church  of  Christ  on  earth.  Says  that 

Hindu  scholar,  Paul  Karishka,  in  one  of  his 
books,  “ Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  a life,  a life,  a life.’* 
Do  not  forget  this.  In  it  lies  the  secret  of  a 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY  : ITS  GROWTH  69 


united  Christendom.  Some  of  us  are  already 
feeling  it  and  consequently  are  looking  sympa- 
thetically on  the  positions  of  others.  We  are 
trying  to  get  the  other  man’s  viewpoint,  thereby 
appreciating  more  fully  what  he  stands  for.  The 
task  is  profoundly  grave  and  far  more  complex 
than  most  of  us  recognize. 

We  are  already  freeing  ourselves  from  sec- 
tarian thought  and  are  thinking  in  the  sphere  of 
the  universal.  We  are  beginning  to  see  that  in « 
the  sadly  divided  House  of  Christ,  including  i 
Greek  Orthodox,  Roman  Catholic,  Anglican  and  ' 
Protestant,  are  earnest  Christians,  as  earnestly ' 
desiring  to  know  God  and  to  walk  in  His  paths  • 
as  we  are.  “ We  offend  against  the  spirit  of  ' 
Christianity  if  we  are  self-assertive,  if  we  con- 
tend for  a side,  if  we  cannot  think  it  is  possible 
that  we  are  mistaken,  if  we  take  all  our  opinions 
as  convictions,  if  we  do  not  try  to  learn  from  one 
another.  All  these  offenses  insulate  us  from  one 
another,  break  the  circuit,  and  so  far  disable  the 
religion  of  Christ  as  an  organ  for  discerning  the 
will  of  God.”  Repentance  of  the  whole  Church — 
a repentance  of  us  all  in  terms  of  a new  attitude 
of  mind  and  heart — will  do  more  to  bring  a new 
day  in  the  Church  of  Christ  for  its  growth  into 
unity  than  any  other  experience  in  the  possibility 
of  the  human  soul.  Sectarianism  must  be  abol-  * 
ished.  Henceforth  let  no  man  glory  in  his  de-  t 
nomination ; that  is  sectarianism : but  let  all  men  t 
glory  in  Christ  and  practice  brotherhood  with  all ' 
men ; that  is  Christianity. 


Ill 


CHRISTIAN  UNITY;  ITS  OUTLOOK 

ON  one  occasion  in  the  discussion  of  an 
international  issue  in  the  British  Parlia- 
ment the  Prime  Minister  said  to  his  col- 
leagues, “ Gentlemen,  you  must  study  larger 
maps.”  This  applies  with  equal  force  to  our- 
selves in  our  outlook  upon  Christian  unity.  At 
the  very  outset,  discouraging  as  it  may  be,  we 
must  not  only  include  the  whole  Church  in  our 
conception — Greek  Orthodox,  Roman  Catholic, 
Anglican,  Protestant  and  all  others  who  accept 
Jesus  Christ  as  Lord  and  Saviour,  but  look  be- 
• yond  where  these  divisions  are  now  to  what  the 
* Church  of  Christ  ought  to  be.  To  many  this  may 
• seem  a Utopian  dream.  I grant  that  sometimes 
from  present  indications  impossibility  looms  so 
high  that  the  way  appears  to  be  even  impassable 
to  human  vision,  but  if  one  yields  to  his  preju- 
dices, affirming  that  certain  bodies  are  not  to  be 
considered  as  desirable  members  in  this  fellow- 
ship of  unity,  such  a one  forthwith  puts  himself 
out  of  the  honest  search  for  the  paths  of  truth. 

- Every  Christian  needs  every  other  Christian  for 
• the  task  of  redeeming  a lost  world,  as  well  as  for 
'Completing  the  fullness  of  the  Christian  life,  and 

70 


CHEISTIAK  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  71 


.Qirist  needs  the  whole  Church  to  fill  up  His 
-glory.  His  need,  our  need  and  the  world’s  need 
crowd  the  future  with  a hope  that  lingers  like 
the  morning  star. 

The  ecclesiastical  systems  of  these  various 
bodies  may  appear  as  irreconcilable  as  the  as- 
tronomical views  of  Pythagoras,  Copernicus, 
Kepler,  Galileo  and  Newton,  but  there  are  un- 
derlying truths  in  all  of  these  bodies  as  there  were 
in  the  crudest  conceptions  of  Pythagoras  and 
Copernicus  regarding  the  planetary  paths.  At 
the  same  time  we  must  recognize  the  great  bar- 
riers, made  greater  by  history  and  prejudice  than 
they  were  at  the  beginning.  It  is  our  task  to  dis- 
cover the  underlying  foundations  of  unity 
throughout  the  whole  Church,  to  reduce  them  to 
as  simple  and  comprehensive  elements  as  possible, 
and  to  build  up  from  those  indisputable  founda- 
tions. We  would  be  blind  not  to  recognize  the 
great  barriers  in  the  way  of  progress,  but  the  pur- 
pose of  Christianity  is  to  remove  barriers.  He 
loses  his  chance  in  life  who  sits  idly  by  nursing 
his  prejudices  and  standing  picket  guard  by  his 
traditions  while  a world  is  dying  of  hunger  for 
God.  Both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  pro- 
claim in  the  ringing  voices  of  Isaiah  and  John  the 
task  of  Jehovah’s  servants.  They  say, 

“Prepare  ye  In  the  wilderness  the  way  of  Jehovah; 
make  level  in  the  desert  a highway  for  our  God.  Every 
valley  shall  be  exalted,  and  every  mountain  and  hill  shall 
be  made  low;  and  the  uneven  shall  be  made  level,  and 
the  rough  places  a plain:  and  the  glory  of  Jehovah  shall 


72  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  shall  see  it  together;  for  the 
mouth  of  Jehovah  hath  spoken  it.”  ‘ 

It  is  the  graphic  picture  of  Jehovah’s  workmen 
adjusting  our  undeveloped  race,  symbolized  by 
such  terms  as  “ wilderness,”  “ desert,”  “ high- 
way,” “valley,”  “mountain,”  “hill,”  “uneven” 
and  “ rough  places.”  But  the  workmen  have 
fallen  out  among  themselves,  leaving  the  work 
undone  or  inefficiently  done,  for  only  a sympa- 
thetic union  of  workmen  can  accomplish  a task 
of  such  divine  appointment.  Consequently  our 
outlook  is  crowded  with  enormous  tasks — the 
greatest  in  the  dream  of  the  farthest  visioned 
man.  Were  there  indications  of  perpetual  divi- 
sion among  us,  I should  drop  into  despair  and 
find  my  only  consolation  in  the  hope  that  a rem- 
nant from  among  the  nations  was  the  best  after 
all  that  Jesus  could  win  to  Himself.  But  Jesus 
died  for  all  and  nothing  short  of  a redeemed 
world  will  satisfy  Him  or  those  who  follow  Him. 
It  is  to  that  end  that  we  give  ourselves  to  the 
outlook  of  Christian  unity. 

• I.  We  must  face  the  facts.  The  Church  is 
' divided  and  a divisive  Christianity  is  weakened. 
' To  say  that  Jesus  Christ  rules  in  His  Church  to-day 
I is  a cunning  device' of  shifting  the  blame  of  the  sin 

• of  division  from  our  own  shoulders  to  the  shoul- 
•ders  of  Christ,  and  so  not  infrequently  we  hear 
- arguments  justifying  division  on  the  ground  that 

• it  is  in  the  providence  of  a wise  heavenly  Father 

* Isa.  40 : 3-5 ; Luke  3 : 4-6. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  73 


' and  that  all  these  divisions  stand  for  some  definite 
. truth.  Such  arguments  find  their  analogy  in  those 
.erstwhile  arguments  advanced  in  support  of  hu- 
• man  slavery,  polygamy,  etc.  If  the  Episcopalians 
or  the  Disciples  or  the  Presbyterians  or  the  Meth- 
odists or  the  Baptists  or  the  Congregationalists  or 
the  Lutherans  or  the  New  Jerusalem  Church  or 
the  Church  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  or  the  Old 
Two-Seed-in-the- Spirit  Predestination  Baptists 
and  so  on,  including  the  two  hundred  varieties, 
Greek  Orthodox,  Roman  Catholic,  etc.,  possess 
certain  divine  truth  that  no  other  possesses,  why 
should  an  Episcopalian  or  a Disciple  or  a Pres- 
byterian or  a Methodist  or  a Baptist  or  a Con- 
gregationalist  or  a Lutheran  or  a member  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  Church  or  a member  of  the 
Church  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  or  an  Old  Two- 
Seed-in-the-Spirit  Predestination  Baptist  go 
through  this  world  with  a two-hundredth  part 
of  truth  when  by  taking  in  what  some  of  the 
others  possess  he  might  get  fifty  per  cent,  of 
divine  truth?  Or  if  it  be  acknowledged  that  he 
have  capacity  for  the  whole  truth  he  might 
possess  the  two  hundred  parts.  This  is  all  re- 
ligious nonsense.  All  of  these  divisions  contain 
truth,  but  it  is  that  truth  that  is  common  to  them 
all.  Their  peculiarities  are  the  things  upon  which 
they  have  become  divided  and  somewhere  in  these 
peculiarities  are  the  deposits  of  error.  Remove 
the  error  and  truth  will  flow  together  like  water 
in  a common  channel.  The  Church  as  the  world* 
knows  it  does  not  represent  the  character  of  • 


74  IFNOT  ATTKITEDCHUEOH— WHAT? 


‘Jesus  Christ.  These  long,  fast  and  established 
•divisions,  maintaining  irreconcilable  discord  in 
•the  House  of  God,  mark  the  masterpiece  of 
• Satan.  We  only  confuse  our  thinking  when  we 
attempt  to  delude  ourselves  in  believing  that 
these  conditions  are  according  to  the  will  of  God. 
It  is  our  sin  and  Jesus  Christ  waits  for  us  who 
believe  in  Him  to  adopt  the  ministry  of  recon- 
ciliation and  thereby  prepare  the  way  for  His 
rule  in  His  Church. 

Discuss  any  theme — ^national  or  international, 
social  or  economic,  political  or  religious — 
and  underlying  all  of  these  is  justice,  freedom, 
brotherhood  and  righteousness,  no  one  of  which 
can  properly  function  through  a divisive  Chris- 
tianity, much  less  the  functioning  of  all  for  the 
betterment  of  mankind.  Every  Christian,  whether 
Greek  Orthodox,  Roman  Catholic,  Anglican  or 
Protestant,  is  a member  of  a Christian  party. 
So  long  as  the  Church  is  divided  I cannot  be 
otherwise  than  a member  of  some  party  in  Chris- 
tendom unless  I sever  my  relations  with  Christi- 
anity. The  lesser  of  the  two  evils  is  maintaining 
party  membership.  If  any  dissent  from  this 
position  of  party  membership  it  is  finding  in  his 
own  party  the  sectarian  claim  of  being  the  one 
and  only  Church  with  all  other  parties  numbered 
among  the  sects — ^not  an  uncommon  claim,  how- 
ever, among  many  bodies;  but  this  need  not  be 
discussed  here,  other  than  to  say  it  is  a remnant 
of  that  sectarian  Jewish  position  that  they  were 
the  highly  favoured  of  the  Almighty  and  all 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  75 


Gentiles  were  dogs.  Such  sectarian  conceit  is 
destined  to  crumble  before  fair-minded  and  en- 
lightened thinking,  so  that  humiliating  as  it  may 
be  the  whole  Church  must  sooner  or  later  face 
the  fact  that  every  division  is  a party  in  Christen- 
dom and  all  of  us  are  members  of  one  or  the  other 
of  these  parties. 

The  next  move  is  for  us  to  rise  above  our 
party  barriers  and  to  think  interdenominationally. 
That  is  to  say,  instead  of  elimination,  until  we 
shall  find  ourselves  tied  down  to  the  thinking  of 
one  party  because  that  chanced  to  be  the  party 
into  which  we  were  bom  or  that  is  our  choice  of 
membership,  we  must  proceed  by  the  way  of 
comprehension,  as  though  each  of  us  held  mem- 
bership in  all  the  parties  of  Christendom,  appro- 
priating the  worth  of  each  in  our  quest  for 
the  broken  pieces  of  the  sacred  chalice,  which 
somehow  and  somewhere  will  be  fitted  together 
by  the  scarred  hands  of  Christ.  For  myself  I 
claim  a place  among  those  who  are  thinking  in- 
terdenominationally in  this  royal  quest.  I will 
not  be  checked  in  my  thinking  either  by  my  party 
affiliation  or  my  party  traditions,  nor  am  I bound 
to  think  to-day  what  I thought  yesterday.  There 
must  be  freedom  for  entrance  into  the  future. 

No  man  can  allow  himself  to  be  tied  either  to  • 
history  or  tradition  if  he  has  a real  concern  for . 
the  unity  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  If  unity  is  . 
to  come  only  by  the  methods  of  his  own  party, 
then  to  be  free  and  fair  he  must  accord  that  right 
to  every  other  party,  which  means  a continuation 


76"^IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT? 


of  our  present  party  lines  ad  infinitum.  These 
party  lines  must  give  way  to  a larger  freedom  and 
to  a larger  measure  of  genuine  religion.  The 
concern  for  our  party  must  be  secondary  to  our 
concern  for  the  will  of  God  in  saving  a lost  world, 
which  is  dependent  upon  a united  Church.  T ragic 
issue!  It  is  either  a united  Church  according 
to  the  will  of  God  and  a saved  world;  or  a 
divided  Church  according  to  the  will  of  men  and 
an  infidel  world.  It  is  a choice  between  guard- 
ing the  past  with  its  mixed  history  of  good  and 
evil  and  making  the  future  an  improvement  over 
the  past  by  a united  Christendom  for  the  good  of 
all.  For  myself — and  each  man  must  begin  with 
himself — I am  facing  the  future  irrespective  of 
what  the  past  has  been.  I am  not  very  much  in- 
terested in  preserving  denominational  autonomies 
and  denominational  traditions.  Jesus  gave  His 
life  away  and  at  the  same  time  gave  a divine 
principle  when  He  says, 

“ Whosoever  would  save  his  life  shall  lose  it ; but 
whosoever  shall  lose  his  life  for  My  sake,  the  same  shall 
save  it.”  * 

I am  perfectly  willing  to  let  the  histories  and 
traditions  of  the  denominations — my  own  in- 
cluded— take  care  of  themselves  in  the  siftings 
of  time.  Whatever  is  good  will  survive  in  the 
succession  of  Christian  experiences  and  the  evil 
will  perish.  The  dead  do  not  need  us ; only  the 
living  perish  for  lack  of  help. 

’ Luke  9 : 24. 


CHEISTIAN  UmTY ; ITS  OUTLOOK  77 


If  in  preserving  the  past  its  purpose  is  to  find 
justification  for  every  division  of  Christians — 
and  what  is  accorded  to  one  division  must  be  ac- 
corded to  all — then  I pray  that  what  man  remem- 
bers God  may  forget,  until  He  shall  say  to  us, 

“I  have  blotted  out,  as  a thick  cloud,  thy  transgres- 
sions, and,  as  a cloud,  thy  sins;  return  unto  Me;  for  I 
have  redeemed  thee.”  * 

I would  be  untrue  to  my  own  heart  and  that  of  ' 
my  fellows  if  I were  not  ready  to  say  that,  al-  ’ 
though  my  own  party  will  stand  comparison  in  ■ 
growth  and  service  with  any  of  the  American  ‘ 
parties,  I would  be  willing  that  all  its  history  and  ' 
tradition  should  be  blotted  out  if  thereby  it  would  ' 
hasten  the  unity  of  Christendom;  nay,  more,  I ' 
am  willing  that  I myself  shall  be  forgot  in  the ' 
remembrance  of  Christ  if  thereby  His  Church  • 
may  be  one.  ' 

The  things  that  have  divided  the  Church  have 
been  deeply  rooted  in  our  divisive  human  natures. 
The  flesh  has  proven  itself  stronger  than  the 
Spirit  and  has  triumphed  for  a time,  but  the 
triumph  of  the  Spirit  is  the  ultimate  result  of  the 
implanting  of  the  Spirit.  All  movements  toward 
unity  are  prophecies  of  ultimate  unity.  We  are 
already  nearer  to  the  goal  than  many  of  us  think. 
When  we  discover  that  many  of  our  convictions 
are  merely  long  established  prejudices  and  when 
these  prejudices  pass  under  the  review  of 
brotherly  kindness  and  truth,  our  party  barriers 

‘Isa.  44:22. 


78  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUEOH— WHAT  I 


will  appear  but  trifling  things  by  the  side  of 
winning  a world  to  righteousness.  When  a Dis- 
ciple married  an  Episcopalian  the  former  wrote 
asking  if  it  would  be  wrong  for  her  to  join  her 
husband’s  Church.  I answered.  No,  certainly 
not.  And  the  same  would  be  true  were  the  case 
reversed  and  if  the  Episcopal  clergyman’s  in- 
terest in  the  Church  of  Christ  is  above  his  interest 
in  his  party,  he  would  likewise  give  the  same 
answer.  Either  the  wife  should  join  the  hus- 
band’s Church  or  the  husband  should  join  the 
wife’s  Church,  depending  on  local  conditions  and 
individual  circumstances.  A divided  Church  is 
bad  enough,  but  a divided  home  is  worse.  The 
unity  of  the  Church  must  begin  in  the  unity  of 
the  home.  Such  sectarian  talk  as  “ I can  never 
be  anything  but  a Protestant  Episcopalian,”  or 
“ I can  never  be  anything  but  a Presbyterian,”  or 
“ I can  never  be  anything  but  a Methodist,”  or 
” I can  never  be  anything  but  a Baptist,”  or  “ I 
can  never  be  anything  but  a Disciple,”  etc.,  ought 
never  to  be  mentioned  among  those  who  are  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus  Christ.  The  only  question  worth 
asking  is.  Am  I such  a Christian  that  I can  be 
a real  Christian  to  every  other  Christian  in  the 
whole  Church? 

If  I be  allowed  the  same  freedom  that  I ac- 
cord to  others,  that  is  to  say,  eliminating  avowed 
loyalty  to  the  standards  of  any  party  in  contra- 
distinction from  the  standards  of  some  other 
party,  I could  hold  membership  in  many  of  the 
religious  bodies  with  no  awkwardness  whatso- 


CHEISTIAl?  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  79 


ever,  affirming  in  each  party  my  simple  disciple- 
ship  in  Jesus  Christ  as  Lord  and  Saviour.  I now 
hold  membership  in  a party,  some  of  whose  vary- 
ing ethical  standards  I do  not  endorse.  Why 
then,  at  the  same  time,  should  I not  hold  member- 
ship in  another  party,  some  of  whose  theological 
standards  I do  not  endorse?  Is  theology  more 
vital  than  ethics?  Changing  from  one  Church  to 
another  makes  for  sectarian  pride,  but  holding 
interchurch  membership — in  different  Churches 
at  the  same  time — would  rebuke  sectarian  pride 
and  make  for  complete  fellowship  among  Chris- 
tians which  is  now  impossible.  Whatever  my 
ordination  once  was  and  whatever  episcopal  ordi- 
nation now  is,  neither  is  of  such  vital  impor- 
tance as  to  withhold  me  from  receiving  the 
latter  if  it  would  contribute  to  the  unity  of 
the  Church — not,  however,  in  any  way  recog- 
nizing apostolic  succession  with  its  assumed 
channel  of  special  grace,  but  in  cheerful  recogni- 
tion of  the  fact  of  episcopacy  as  one  of  the  modes 
of  Church  government  from  very  early  times. 
Surely  in  the  Church  of  the  future  there  must 
be  this  freedom  in  accepting  ordination  by  cour- 
tesy. All  persons  of  orderly  thinking  recognize 
that  there  should  be  some  kind  of  superintendency 
in  Christian  work.  The  mere  title  of  the  super- 
intendent is  secondary,  but  the  fact  of  a constitu- 
tional superintendency  is  of  meritorious  worth. 

Perhaps  some  might  complain  that  to  be  equally 
at  home  with  a forward  looking  Episcopalian 
or  a forward  looking  Disciple  indicates  an 
ethical  insincerity  in  one’s  thinking.  Such  com- 
plaints are  based  upon  sectarian  attitudes  which 


80  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WH  AT  t 


have  been  maintained  through  the  years  by 
the  force  of  history  and  prejudice.  Do  not  Epis- 
copalians, Presbyterians  and  Disciples  believe  in 
the  divine  Sonship  of  Jesus?  Have  they  not 
shown  the  fruit  of  their  obedience  to  Him  as 
Lord  and  Saviour?  Is  their  interpretation  of 
Him  not  the  very  same  ? Do  they  not  recognize 
the  Scriptures  as  the  word  of  God?  Has  not  the 
Holy  Spirit  used  them?  To  each  of  these  ques- 
tions the  answer  is  unhesitatingly  in  the  affirma- 
tive. Then  the  words  of  the  Apostle  Peter 
significantly  ring  in  my  ears, 

“If  then  God  gave  unto  them  the  like  gift  . . . 
who  was  I,  that  I could  withstand  God  ? ” * 

The  difficulty  here  is  that  the  peculiarities  of 
these  bodies,  such  as  Church  governments,  forms 
of  worship  and  in  general  the  way  each  body  does 
things,  have  been  lifted  in  the  minds  of  some  to 
equality  with  the  fundamental  principles  of  our 
faith.  Against  this  I protest,  for  it  cannot  be 
that  Church  governments,  forms  of  worship,  sys- 
tems of  theology,  etc.,  are  in  the  realm  of  vital 
Christianity  nor  can  they  by  any  force  of  logic, 
historic  data  or  experience  be  put  on  a parity  with 
vital  Christianity.  With  our  outlook  upon  the 
future  there  is  abundant  evidence  that  in  the 
years  to  come  this  will  be  the  prevailing  position. 
In  common  with  many  others  I yield  to  the  liberty 
of  opinion  in  these  matters,  but  I will  not  swerve 
in  my  conviction  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  be- 
’Acts  11:17. 


CHEISTIAIT  TJinTY : ITS  OUTLOOK  81 


gotten  Son  of  God  and  our  Lord  and  Saviour, 
that  in  His  death  and  resurrection  He  has  given 
us  the  real  meaning  of  life,  that  His  Holy  Spirit 
has  the  right  of  way  in  making  our  wills  channels 
for  the  will  of  God  on  earth,  that  we  are  under 
obligations  as  disciples  of  Jesus  to  attain  unto  the 
unity  of  the  faith  for  the  evangelization  of  the 
world  and  its  Christianization  in  all  human  rela- 
tions— social,  economic  and  international — and 
that  the  badge  of  our  discipleship  is  the  costly 
insignia  of  love.  Everything  else  must  be  sec- 
ondary in  our  outlook  on  the  future.  The  sim- 
plicity and  democracy  of  Jesus  have  in  them  ele- 
ments of  such  permanent  value  that  neither  per- 
secution nor  unbrotherly  criticism  can  wither. 
They  must  live. 

t II.  The  Hebrews  were  named  as  stewards  of 
’ the  oracles  of  God ; the  Christians  were  named  as 

• stewards  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  passing  from 
'the  stewardship  of  the  oracles  to  the  stewardship 

• of  the  Spirit  indicated  the  abrogation  of  external 
-authorities  in  spiritual  matters  and  definitely  in- 

• augurated  the  religion  of  the  Spirit.  Neverthe- 
less gradually  there  grew  up  the  authority  of  the 
‘Church,  whose  claim  to  infallibility  logically  must 
■culminate  in  an  infallible  pope  even  if  it  took 
•until  1870  to  reach  It.  On  the  other  hand,  the  In- 

• fallible  Church  must  be  offset  by  the  authority  of 
. an  infallible  Bible,  the  logical  conclusion  of  which 
.must  culminate  in  an  Infallible  interpretation, 
. which  crystallizes  in  legalism  or  the  authority  of 

• the  letter  of  the  law.  It  could  not  have  been  the 


82  IP  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  ? 


divine  purpose  that  the  Church  and  the  Bible 
should  have  been  put  in  opposition  to  each  other ; 
consequently  the  Roman  Catholics  abused  the 
first  by  their  own  arrogant  claims  and  the  Protes- 
tants abused  the  latter  by  their  divisive  interpre- 
tations, so  that  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  neither 
the  Church  nor  the  Bible  attained  to  places  of  in- 
fallibility. In  this  departure  the  whole  Church 
has  suffered — Greek  Orthodox,  Roman  Catholic, 
Anglican  and  Protestant,  so  that  it  is  evident  that 
both  the  Church  and  theology  have  fallen  from 
their  fictitious  heights.  Both  the  Church  and  the 
Bible  were  to  be  servants  of  His  religion — not 
' taskmasters.  The  Gospel  of  God  must  not 

. be  detached  from  either  the  Church  or  the 
, Bible,  but  it  must  be  released  both  from  the 
“ bondage  of  the  Church  and  the  legalism  of  the 
• Bible.  Jesus  Christ  came  to  make  men  free. 
His  religion  is  the  religion  of  the  Spirit.  Be- 
cause it  is  the  religion  of  the  Spirit  He  gave 
those  severe  words  regarding  the  unpardonable- 
ness of  transgression  against  the  Spirit.  It  could 
not  be  otherwise.  He  says, 

“ Every  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto 
men;  but  the  blasphemy  against  the  Spirit  shall  not  be 
forgiven.  And  whosoever  shall  speak  a word  against 
the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him;  but  whoso- 
ever shall  speak  against  the  Holy  Spirit,  It  shall  not  be 
forgiven  him,  neither  in  this  world,  nor  in  that  which 
is  to  come.”  * 


*Matt.  12:31,  32. 


CHRISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  83 


These  words  mark  a stern  limitation  to  man’s 
unbridled  course.  Every  kind  of  sin  against  God 
and  our  fellows  may  be  forgiven  through  repent- 
ance, but  the  sin  against  the  Spirit  is  unpardon- 
able, so  deadly  when  committed  that  there  is  no 
desire  for  repentance,  and  concerning  this  sin 
there  need  be  no  prayers  offered.  Jesus  and  His 
disciples  partly  unveiled  it  to  the  human  eye,  leav- 
ing it  purposely  in  vague  definitions  with  its 
warning  wrapped  in  mysterious  isolation  and 
with  its  weird  shadow  reaching  across  the  cen- 
turies. Discussions  of  it  go  back  into  the  early 
history  of  the  Church,  when  conflicting  sects 
charged  each  other  with  it  because  of  certain 
creedal  declarations,  down  to  these  times  when 
some  individual  drops  into  despair,  believing  that 
he  has  committed  it.  Whatever  be  the  opinions  it 
is  usually  agreed  that  the  warning  is  addressed  to 
believers,  rather  than  to  infidels  or  flagrant 
sinners.  The  Pharisees,  whom  Jesus  warned, 
were  as  respectable  and  devout  a community  of 
worshipers  then  as  may  be  found  in  any  Chris- 
tian community  now,  either  Roman  Catholic  or 
Protestant.  It  is  the  cry  of  alarm.  It  is  the  call 
to  avoid  the  possibility  of  “ an  eternal  sin.” 

The  vocation  of  the  Spirit  Is  motion  and 
change.  We  are  living  in  a world  of  tremendous 
energy — the  floating  clouds,  the  moving  sea,  the 
blooming  flowers,  the  growing  children — all 
evince  a significant  energy.  The  Scriptures  open 
with  the  statement  that  the  Spirit  moved  upon  the 
face  of  the  waters.  It  was  another  way  of  af- 


84  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


firming  the  commitment  of  the  world  to  the  laws 
of  motion  and  change.  These  are  the  laws  of 
life  because  they  are  the  laws  of  the  Spirit. 
Nature,  history,  thought,  life,  experience  and  re- 
ligion are  continuous.  Vegetables  and  animals 
have  their  beginning,  their  growth,  their  maturity 
only  to  start  in  again  with  a beginning  and  de- 
velopment through  growth  into  maturity.  It  is 
the  song  of  every  seed  as  it  is  dropped  into  the 
soil  and  the  first  chirp  of  the  bird  as  it  pips  its 
shell  for  its  new  world.  The  changes  in  nature 
are  challenges  to  the  divided  Church  to  attain 
unto  the  unity  of  the  faith,  for  life  implies  both 
continuity  and  change.  Life  must  either  progress 
by  this  method,  which  gives  to  it  charm  and 
beauty,  or  it  must  degenerate  and  decay. 

It  may  be  said  that  physics  regards  matter 
solely  as  the  vehicle  of  energy.  Then  is  there 
no  lesson  for  us  in  this?  Here  is  a boy  grow- 
ing to  manhood,  a colony  growing  to  state- 
hood, a lily  flowering,  a sand-dune  growing. 
These  are  four  commonplace  conditions  that 
deserve  observation.  All  are  supernatural  in 
the  sense  that  they  are  alike  expressions  of 
the  invisible  solidarity  of  the  universe,  the 
imminence  of  law  and  the  imperishability  of 
energy.  “ Jehovah  is  good  to  all  and  all  His 
tender  mercies  are  over  all  His  works.”  Out  of 
the  heart  of  the  growing  child  comes  the  appeal 
to  attain  to  unity  in  the  family  of  God.  Out  of 
the  history  of  the  growing  state,  out  of  the  per- 
fumed blossom  of  the  flower,  from  the  desert  top 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY ; ITS  OUTLOOK  86 


of  the  sand-dunes  there  comes  one  and  the  same 
call  and  that  is  the  awakening  from  what  we  are 
to  what  we  may  be  in  spiritual  experience.  The 
temporary  arrest  of  our  Godward  movement  is 
grief  to  the  Spirit,  leaving  stunted  souls,  as  seen 
in  the  stunted  growths  of  trees  and  animals,  when 
conditions  occurred  which  arrested  their  growth. 
Its  permanent  arrest  produces  a deadening  con- 
dition, which  the  Spirit  life  neither  here  nor  here- 
after can  affect. 

The  difference  between  grieving  the  Spirit  and 
sinning  against  the  Spirit  must  be  observed.  Both 
are  sins  and  we  are  forbidden  to  do  either,  but 
they  differ  in  character.  It  is  a common  experi- 
ence of  the  soul  to  transgress  in  its  attempts  to 
live  for  God.  This  transgression  is  grief  to  the 
Spirit.  For  this  grief  to  the  Spirit  there  is  a 
sense  of  guilt  in  the  soul  and  a desire  to  pray, 
which  is  met  with  abundant  mercy.  But  in  the 
instance  of  the  sin  against  the  Spirit  there  ap- 
pears to  be  no  sense  of  guilt  because  conscience 
is  dead  and  consequently  there  is  no  place  for  real 
prayer.  It  is  a permanently  arrested  growth  of 
the  Spirit’s  work  in  the  Church,  expressing  itself 
in  satisfaction  with  the  divided  state  of  the 
Church  with  its  conceit  of  party  spirit  and  in  the 
indifference  to  a change  of  mind,  as  illustrated 
in  the  fixed,  contended  Pharisees,  to  whom  Jesus 
made  the  remark  regarding  the  sin  against  the 
Spirit.  The  Pharisees  were  approaching  this  sin. 
The  words  of  Jesus  were  a warning  to  wake  up 
from  their  spiritual  stupor  in  order  that  the 


86  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


Spirit  might  move  them  to  the  acceptance  of 
more  truth,  bringing  such  changes  in  their  lives 
as  would  prevent  their  sinning  against  the  Spirit’s 
function  of  moving  the  soul  Godward. 

A permanently  arrested  growth  leads  to  the 
death  of  conscience.  The  sin  of  the  fixed  is  the 
most  disastrous  sin  in  the  world.  It  is  strikingly 
illustrated  in  the  Pharisees  and  other  Jewish  de- 
nominations’ in  the  time  of  Christ  refusing  to 
change,  but  instead  clinging  to  their  old-time  tradi- 
tions and  rejecting  the  leadership  of  the  Spirit. 
Its  blight  lies  upon  the  continent  of  Asia,  where  re- 
ligions have  stood  boldly  in  their  protests  against 
change.  Originally,  and  still  intrinsically,  Chris- 
tianity is  the  religion  of  motion  and  change  be- 
cause it  is  the  religion  of  the  Spirit.  As  brilliant 
as  were  the  philosophers  and  poets  of  Greece  and 
Rome,  it  was  the  Hebrew  who  first  of  all  discov- 
ered the  possibilities  of  man’s  spiritual  future  and 
he  therefore  stands  first  amongthe  prophets  of  the 
human  soul.  This  was  the  force  of  Joel’s  proph- 
ecy and  the  significance  of  its  emphasis  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost — from  a few  prophets  like 
Moses,  David,  Isaiah  and  others,  all  might  be- 
come prophets,  themselves  penitent  and  calling 
others  to  repentance  on  their  way  to  the  attain- 
ment of  unity.  Jesus  said  little  in  denunciation 
of  the  sinner;  He  did  better  than  that;  He  in- 
spired men  to  virtue,  which  marked  a revolution 
in  human  life.  It  Is  the  function  of  the  Spirit  to 
release  this  revolutionary  inspiration  from  the 
bondage  of  the  letter  and  tradition  into  spiritual 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY ; ITS  OUTLOOK  87 


freedom,  moving  constantly  and  changing  in  new 
experiences  with  God. 

The  warning  of  Jesus  to  the  Pharisees  is 
equally  applicable  to  the  Church  to-day.  The 
Church  must  move  out  from  where  she  is  and 
change  her  policies,  else  she  will  certainly  go  the 
downward  road  to  the  sin  against  the  Spirit  and 
die,  leaving  an  infidel  world  as  the  result  of  her 
division  and  unspiritual  attitudes.  I often  wonder 
why  my  brothers  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
cling  so  tenaciously  to  the  decrees  of  ancient  coun- 
cils and  my  brothers  of  Protestant  Churches  to 
the  Scriptural  interpretations  of  long  dead  leaders, 
as  though  infallibility  rested  upon  ancient' councils 
and  upon  the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  of 
long  years  ago.  That  the  councils  were  made  up 
of  good  men  or  that  the  Scriptural  interpretations 
were  made  by  those  of  piety  and  scholarship  I 
do  not  doubt,  but  they  were  in  the  yesterday.  We 
are  living  in  to-day  with  preparation  for  to-mor- 
row. What  astronomers  linger  by  the  conclu- 
sions of  Hipparchus  or  the  details  of  the  conclu- 
sions of  Copernicus?  Or  what  school  of  medi- 
cine is  governed  by  the  opinions  of  Hippocrates 
or  Paracelsus  ? Has  it  not  been  truly  said,  “ The 
sons  of  this  world  are  for  their  own  generation 
wiser  than  the  sons  of  light  ” ? The  failure  of 
the  Church  has  been  her  backward  look — her  his- 
tory and  her  prejudice — necessarily  weakening 
her  willingness  to  follow  the  leadership  of  the 
Spirit. 

The  whole  world  is  moving  to-day  as  never 


88  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  I 


before  in  all  history.  Every  day  is  crowded  with 
the  marvelous.  Man  is  hungering  for  the  satis- 
faction of  the  prophetic  element  in  himself  as 
never  before.  For  the  Church  to  refuse  the 
leadership  of  the  Spirit  until  conscience  dies  is 
the  sin  against  the  Spirit.  Conscience  may  be 
trained  in  the  wrong  school,  but  it  may  be  un- 
taught and  trained  in  the  right  school ; it  may  be 
defiled,  but  it  can  be  made  holy;  it  may  be 
wounded,  but  its  wounds  can  be  healed ; it  may  be 
an  evil  conscience,  but  there  is  a way  to  make  it 
good;  it  may  be  a conscience  whose  works  de- 
serve death,  but  it  can  be  cleansed;  it  may  be 
seared  as  with  a hot  iron,  but  it  can  be  healed  as 
human  flesh  heals  when  it  has  been  burnt — any 
one  of  these  conditions  or  all  may  come  into  a 
single  human  life  and  there  is  a way  open  for 
recovery.  But  when  conscience  is  dead,  so  that 
the  Christian’s  moral  sense  is  gone  with  all  its 
loss  of  sense  of  guilt,  that  is  such  treason  against 
the  Spirit  as  to  make  impossible  a life  here  or 
hereafter.  An  unwillingness  to  follow  the 
prophet’s  lamp  for  one’s  spiritual  future  is  the 
danger;  the  refusal  is  death.  Penitence,  faith, 
hope,  love  and  freedom  are  the  paths  of  the 
Spirit’s  leading. 

The  principle  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  was  trans- 
ferring religion  from  the  exterior  to  the  interior. 
The  human  heart  was  henceforth  the  temple. 
The  life  of  Jesus  is  the  inspiration.  The  Spirit’s 
function  is  to  communicate  to  every  disciple  of 
Jesus  this  religious  consciousness — “ Christ  in  us 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  89 


the  hope  of  glory.”  To  say,  “I  am  here,  but 
God  is  in  heaven  or  at  the  altar  ” is  opposed  to 
the  vital  principles  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus.  In- 
stead it  should  be,  “ I am  here  and  by  the  rule 
of  His  Spirit  in  me,  God  dwells  in  me  as  He 
dwelt  in  Jesus  when  He  walked  among  men.” 
Is  this  audacity?  I think  not,  for  truth  never  is 
audacious,  but  falsehood  always  is.  It  is  by  fol- 
lowing the  way  of  falsehood  that  we  violate  the 
consciousness  of  God  in  us,  arresting  all  motion 
and  change,  thereby  approaching  the  sin  against 
the  Spirit.  In  our  outlook  there  are  unmistak- 
able indications  of  a distinct  awakening  of  the 
consciousness  of  the  religion  of  the  Spirit  and 
this  gives  colour  to  our  outlook  on  the  future. 
Organized  Christianity  must  either  give  way  to 
this  awakened  consciousness,  or  decay  in  its 
possessing  the  form  of  religion,  but  denying  its 
power,  for  the  religion  of  Christ  is  destined  to 
come  to  fulfilment  because  it  is  life — the  life  of 
God  in  men. 

' HI.  Unity  must  be  based  upon  truth,  else  it 
• will  be  neither  permanent  nor  spiritual.  In  the 
maze  of  conflicting  opinions  the  air  is  filled  with 
•echoes  of  Pilate’s  interrogation,  “What  is  truth?” 
In  the  attempt  to  find  the  answer  men  have  re- 
sorted to  definitions  of  truth,  but  the  many  op- 
posing definitions  of  the  same  thing  indicate 
either  the  unpreparedness  of  the  human  mind  to 
make  dogmatic  definitions  in  this  period  regard- 
ing unsettled  problems,  or  the  unwisdom  of  that 
method  in  its  approach  toward  truth,  for  the 


90  IF  NOT  A UMTED  CHUECH— WHAT  ? 


scholarship  and  piety  of  those  who  have  prepared 
these  opposing  definitions  are  above  reproach. 
Consequently  we  are  now  dealing  with  the  unpre- 
paredness of  conclusions  regarding  truth,  espe- 
cially when  those  conclusions  involve  withdraw- 
ing fellowship  from  those  who  dissent,  and  we 
are  likewise  dealing  with  the  unwisdom  of  these 
methods  in  approaching  truth.  The  maze  in 
which  the  whole  Church  is  involved  with  its 
multiplicity  of  divisions  proves  this.  In  the  out- 
look we  need  to  counsel  our  own  hearts  to  avoid 
haste,  as  says  the  Hebrew  prophet, 

“ Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah,  Behold,  I lay  in  Zion 
for  a foundation  a stone,  a tried  stone,  a precious  cor- 
ner-stone of  sure  foundation : he  that  believeth  shall  not 
be  in  haste.”  ‘ 

Is  it  not  true  that  human  impatience  has  been  a 
large  factor  in  our  divisions?  As  Canon  B.  H. 
Streeter  in  his  “ Restatement  and  Reunion  ” says, 
“ To  be  in  a hurry  for  truth  is  the  worse  way 
to  get  to  your  goal.  But  this  lesson  is  hard  to  be 
learned;  man  is  by  nature  impatient,  especially 
when  vital  issues  are  at  stake;  and,  while  the 
search  for  truth  is  going  slowly  on,  there  is  no 
truce  in  the  battle  with  sin,  within  us  or  with- 
out.” 

The  restatement  of  conclusions  is  of  pre- 
eminent importance.  Indeed  the  most  ancient 
of  the  creeds— the  Apostles’  Creed  and  the  Nicene 
Creed — are  repeated  with  reservation  in  many  in- 


’ Isa.  28 : 16, 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  91 


stances  by  those  who  are  most  loyal  to  the  tradi- 
tions of  history.  Yet  there  is  a hesitancy  to  ap- 
proach the  threshold  of  either  of  these  creeds 
with  the  thought  of  revising  their  texts  and  ad- 
justing them  to  new  interpretations.  The  Holy 
Scriptures  have  been  revised  from  time  to  time 
and  their  revised  texts  have  undergone  many  new 
interpretations.  Whereas  it  would  be  generally 
acknowledged  that  the  significance  of  these  two 
most  ancient  creeds  is  not  to  us  of  this  day  what 
it  was  to  those  of  the  fourth  century  when  they 
were  framed.  How  much  more  must  the  same 
principles  apply  to  the  revision  and  new  interpre- 
tations of  all  creeds,  which  are  less  in  importance 
than  these  ancient  and  venerable  documents  of 
the  early  Church ! 

Christianity  was  founded  upon  neither  theology 
nor  philosophy,  but  upon  the  fact  of  Christ. 
These  have  contributed  to  Christianity  and  will 
always  be  handmaids  to  Christianity,  but  they  be- 
long to  the  few,  while  Christianity  belongs  to  the 
many.  It  must  be  frankly  admitted  that  some- 
times they  have  been  hindrances  instead  of  helps, 
but  this  has  been  their  abuse  rather  than  their 
rightful  service.  Christianity  is  beyond  these  as 
the  planetary  paths  are  beyond  the  interpretations 
of  Galileo  and  Kepler.  Before  the  Roman  gov- 
ernor asked  the  question,  “ What  is  truth  ? ” 
Jesus  had  said,  “ I am  the  truth.”  It  is  the  man 
Jesus  Christ  with  Whom  we  are  having  personal 
transactions,  if  we  are  having  any  transactions 
at  all  with  the  Eternal.  Our  relationship  with 


92  IP  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WH  AT  f 


Him  is  based  upon  the  corresponding  fact  of  the 
new  birth  in  ourselves.  I recognize  the  diversity 
of  interpretations  regarding  the  new  birth,  but  I 
do  not  pause  here  to  be  entangled  in  any  of  these 
interpretations,  other  than  to  say  it  is  putting  on 
the  new  nature,  which  is  none  other  than  the 
nature  of  Christ,  giving  Himself  to  do  the  will 
of  God  in  His  attitude  both  toward  God,  His 
Father,  and  toward  all  men,  His  brothers.  It 
must  be  recognized  that  many  in  the  various  divi- 
sions of  Christendom  have  attained  to  the  new 
birth,  irrespective  of  any  one  interpretation  of 
the  new  birth,  if  we  are  to  consider  at  all  the 
evidences  of  a living  faith.  It  is  the  fact  of  the 
new  birth,  however,  that  holds  the  center  of  hu- 
man experience.  This  fact  is  beyond  all  the- 
ology, all  philosophy,  all  forms,  all  ecclesiastical 
organizations,  manifesting  itself  in  what  the 
Apostle  Paul  calls  “ the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,” 
which  is  the  most  costly  product  in  human  life. 
He  says, 

“ The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  longsuffer- 
ing,  kindness,  goodness,  faiuifulness,  meekness,  self- 
control  ; against  such  there  is  no  law.”  * 

Frequently  these  vital  elements  are  pushed 
aside — sad  to  say  more  frequently  than  other- 
wise— ^to  discuss  systems  of  theology  or  to  be 
more  definite  to  discuss  Baptism,  the  Priesthood 
and  the  Lord’s  Supper,  over  which  bitter  contro- 
versies have  been  waged.  Great  divisions  now 

’ Gal.  5 : 22,  23. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  93 


stand  as  the  result  of  these  controversies.  We 
are  not  only  to  abandon  the  controversies,  but  we 
are  to  abolish  the  divisions.  However,  in  the 
midst  of  these  conditions  many  in  the  various 
divisions  have  gone  on  steadily  producing  “ the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit,”  proving  by  that  evidence, 
which  is  stronger  than  logic,  that  those  matters 
which  have  been  the  occasion  of  severe  contro- 
versies and  causes  of  divisions  belong  in  the 
realm  of  formal  Christianity,  where  the  largest 
freedom  is  to  be  given.  We  have  approached 
Christ  usually  through  Baptism,  the  Priesthood 
and  the  Lord’s  Supper — all  of  these  or  one  or 
more  of  these.  That  is  to  say,  membership  in 
any  one  of  the  various  divisions  is  usually  asso- 
ciated with  all  of  these  or  some  one  of  these; 
hence  we  hear  throughout  Christendom  and  in 
every  language  on  the  globe  that  old  cry,  “ Ex- 
cept ye  be  circumcised  after  the  custom  of  Moses, 
ye  cannot  be  saved”;  or  to  be  more  explicit, 
” Unless  you  come  to  Christ  by  our  way,  your 
salvation  will  be  jeopardized.” 

Does  the  outlook  make  it  possible  to  reverse 
the  order  ? I mean  having  received  Jesus  Christ 
as  our  Lord  and  Saviour  we  should  recognize  as 
Christians  without  reservation  the  Greek  Ortho- 
dox, the  Roman  Catholic,  the  Anglican  and  the 
Protestant  and  approach  Baptism,  the  Priesthood 
and  the  Lord’s  Supper  corporately  from  within 
the  Church  and  under  the  leadership  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  by  Whom  Jesus  promises  to  guide  us  to 
the  truth,  when  He  says. 


94  IP  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT? 


“ He  (the  Spirit)  shall  guide  you  into  all  the  truth.”  ‘ 

To  be  met  at  the  threshold  with  the  statement 
that  some  of  these  have  not  been  baptized,  or 
some  of  these  have  no  priesthood,  or  some  of 
these  can  have  no  Table  of  the  Lord  because 
they  have  no  priesthood,  is  simply  begging  the 
question.  These  are  the  very  things  that  have 
not  been  decided.  The  truth  about  these  things 
is  somewhere.  We  have  tried  to  find  that  truth 
working  separately  from  our  dogmatic  viewpoints 
and  we  are  still  divided.  Why  not  try  it  by  work- 
ing together  in  humility  and  prayer  ? Have 
we  got  that  far  in  Christian  experience  to  face 
these  problems  without  prejudice  and  contro- 
versy? That  they  are  in  the  plan  of  Christi- 
anity is  generally  accepted.  The  question  is, 
What  are  their  places? 

Baptism  is  a venerable  institution,  made  doubly 
sacred  by  Jesus  Himself  being  baptized.  But  is 
trine  immersion  or  single  immersion  apostolic 
baptism?  Is  baptism  of  the  penitent  believer  by 
immersion  in  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the 
Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit  the  only  Scriptural 
baptism,  or  is  pouring  or  sprinkling  of  water  on 
a penitent  believer  in  the  name  of  the  Father  and 
of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit  equally  as 
Scriptural?  Is  the  baptism  of  infants  accord- 
ing to  apostolic  precedent  or  is  it  post-apostolic  in 
origin?  Has  baptism  a regenerating  element  or 
has  it  anything  at  all  to  do  with  salvation? 


*John  i6:  13. 


CHEISTIAK  UNITY ; ITS  OUTLOOK  95 


Humanity  will  always  need  the  priesthood. 
But  is  there  a priesthood  of  all  believers  or  is 
there  a special  priesthood  set  apart  for  sacerdotal 
service?  Is  there  a Christian  priesthood  after 
the  model  of  the  Levitical  priesthood  of  the  Old 
Testament  with  its  severe  restrictions,  or  can 
Christians  other  than  priests  administer  the  sacra- 
ments ? Is  the  sacerdotal  priesthood  apostolic  or 
post-apostolic  ? 

The  Ijord’s  Supper  has  ever  around  it  the  at- 
mosphere of  the  Upper  Room.  But  does  the  bread 
and  wine  contain  “ truly,  really  and  substantially 
the  body  and  blood,  together  with  the  soul  and 
divinity  of  our  Lord  ” or  does  “ the  bread  and 
wine  become  by  consecration  really  and  sacra- 
mentally the  body  and  blood  of  our  Lord  ” or  is 
it  a spiritual  memorial  of  the  broken  body  and 
shed  blood  of  Jesus  Christ?  In  its  observance 
have  all  Christians  a right  to  it  or  only  those  who 
are  members  of  particular  denominations?  Is  it 
to  be  observed  weekly,  monthly  or  at  other  regu- 
lar or  irregular  intervals? 

And  still  another  question,  Is  the  primitive  con- 
stitution of  the  Church  to  continue  without 
change,  or  is  it  to  be  reconstituted  in  order  to 
preserve  its  vitality  in  its  ministry  to  men? 

There  are  millions  of  Christians  on  each  side* 
of  all  these  questions.  Other  millions  occupy  • 
either  middle  ground  or  ground  which  has  not  • 
been  covered  by  any  of  these  questions. 

There  are  two  methods  in  finding  the  solution  f 
regarding  these  matters:  One  is  to  separate  into  > 


96  IFFOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT! 


• a party  all  those  who  agree  to  a certain  interpre- 
, tation  and  remain  proudly  aloof  from  all  others, 
.which  is  the  present  condition  of  the  Church  and 
. is  the  best  possible  way  to  perpetuate  division  and 
•therefore  the  best  method  not  to  find  the  real 
« solution ; the  other  is  to  come  together  in  a f ellow- 
« ship  based  upon  the  fact  of  the  Messiahship  and 

• Lordship  of  Jesus  and  to  prayerfully  and  humbly 
.work  and  study  corporately,  which  is  the  one 

• hopeful  method  of  finding  the  solution.  Conse- 
quently it  is  of  primary  importance  to  note  that 
all  denominationalism — Greek  Orthodox,  Roman 
Catholic,  Anglican  and  all  Protestants — is  based 
upon  half-statements.  The  tragedy  of  this  is  in- 
tensified by  the  acceptance  of  these  half-state- 
ments for  the  whole,  producing  a condition  which 
either  expels  those  from  its  fold  who  will  not 
accept  the  half-statements,  or  themselves  with- 
draw. We  must  abandon  the  position  that  a 
thing  is  settled  because  a group  of  a million  or  a 
hundred  million,  for  that  matter,  of  devout  and 
scholarly  Christians  support  it,  when  at  the  same 
time  we  know  that  there  are  another  million  or 
perhaps  a hundred  million  equally  as  devout  and 
scholarly  dissenting  from  our  interpretation.  To 
withdraw  or  to  be  withdrawn  from  does  not  settle 
problems  of  this  character,  but  instead  establishes 
unscientific  and  unspiritual  methods  of  procedure. 
Consequently,  however  much  some  of  us  may  dis- 
like to  acknowledge  it,  the  fact  is  that  Baptism, 
the  Priesthood  and  the  Lord’s  Supper  cannot  be 
classified  at  this  period  in  any  other  than  that  of 


CHEISTIAlf  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  97 


the  unsettled  problems.  Hence  for  our  dog- 
matism, pride  and  isolation  we  must  substitute 
freedom,  humility  and  fellowship  if  we  are  to 
know  the  will  of  God  for  our  generation.  Until 
the  settlement  of  these  questions  there  should  be 
cooperation,  federation  and  such  cooperative  work 
as  will  make  it  possible  to  help  toward  a solution. 

In  our  outlook  for  more  satisfactory  conclu- 
sions we  must  seek  corporately  for  the  truth,  re- 
discovering for  ourselves  our  liberties  and  our 
fellowship  with  the  saints  of  all  ages,  as  well  as 
the  discovery  of  new  paths,  under  the  lamp  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  and  in  the  light  of  all  new 
knowledge.  One  wearies  in  this  present  day 
maze  of  confusion,  longing  for  altitudes  from 
which  he  may  see  more  clearly  the  approaches  to 
truth.  Many  Christians  in  looking  upon  Chris- 
tians in  other  communions  are  like  a man  travel- 
ing in  foggy  weather.  Those  at  a distance  on 
every  side  appear  to  be  wrapped  in  the  fog,  while 
near  him  the  atmosphere  appears  clear,  although 
he  is  as  much  in  the  fog  as  any  that  he  sees 
around  him.  The  most  difficult  task  in  our  ap- 
proach to  truth  is  the  discovery  of  our  own  errors, 
for  truth  is  not  apart  from  personal  life — a fact 
that  needs  to  be  written  in  letters  of  gold.  This 
is  the  force  of  Christ’s  statement  when  He  says, 
“ I am  the  truth.”  The  ideal  of  Christian  life  is 
itself  becoming  the  truth,  referred  to  by  the 
Apostle  Paul  in  these  words,  “ For  me  to  live  is 
Christ,”  that  is  to  say,  for  me  to  live  is  to  repro- 
duce Christ.  Transcendent  heights!  Yet  not 


98  IP  NOT  A UNITED  CHURCH— WHAT  f 


beyond  the  possibilities  of  the  weakest  and 
humblest  of  us  all.  Truth  is  only  expressed  and 
revealed  as  we  develop  spiritually.  Consequently 
truth  is  in  the  realm  of  the  spiritual  and  it  can 
only  be  discovered  by  the  spiritual  eye. 

The  adjustment  of  all  spiritual  problems  lies 
in  the  future  and  whatever  truth  they  contain  will 
be  discovered  only  under  the  guidance  of  the 
Spirit,  but  to  assume  a dogmatic  position  on  an 
unsettled  problem,  to  pose  in  superiority  over 
other  Christians  and  to  practice  aloofness  with 
other  Christians,  is  the  one  sure  way  not  to  find 
the  truth.  Such  a spirit  is  so  unspiritual  that 
whatever  of  truth  it  may  possess  becomes 
poisoned  by  the  attitude  of  untruth.  To  say  that 
the  privileges  of  the  Church  and  the  fellowship  of 
Jesus  are  for  me  and  not  for  you  so  closely  ap- 
proaches infidelity  that  for  my  part  I had  rather 
deny  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  than  to  believe  that 
He  is  the  Christ  for  my  party,  but  not  in  the 
same  sense  for  the  other  parties  of  Christendom. 
Under  the  poison  of  a sectarian  policy  it  is  no 
surprise  that  a divided  Church  faces  an  infidel 
world. 

However,  there  are  millions  of  believers 
scattered  among  all  communions  and  our  outlook 
has  in  it  the  promise  of  a love  that  “ suffereth 
long  and  is  kind,”  that  “ envieth  not,”  that 
” vaunteth  not  itself,”  that  “is  not  puffed  up,” 
that  “ doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly,”  that 
“ seeketh  not  its  own,”  that  “ is  not  provoked,” 
that  “ taketh  not  account  of  evil,”  and  that  “ re- 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY ; ITS  OUTLOOK  99 


joiceth  not  in  unrighteousness,  but  rejoiceth  with 
the  truth.”  Rapid  changes  toward  unity  must 
crowd  the  future,  else  increasing  tragedies,  wider 
in  scope  and  more  brutal  in  character,  will  pre- 
dominate on  the  earth.  In  the  fulfilment  of 
God’s  promises  all  Christians  must  feel  the  divine 
impulse,  from  the  pope  in  the  Vatican  to  the 
deacon  in  the  North  Carolina  mountain  Church  of 
Primitive  Baptists.  Some  Gregory  will  come  to 
the  papacy,  some  Hooker  or  Andrewes  will  come 
to  the  Anglicans  and  some  new  voices  like  Calix- 
tus  or  Baxter  or  Campbell  will  be  heard  among 
Protestants.  Conferences  will  succeed  contro- 
versies, prayer  will  succeed  dogma  and  there  will 
be  multitudes  of  ventures  toward  unity  in  search 
for  the  paths  of  truth,  which  is  only  another  way 
of  saying  that  many  will  trust  God’s  leadership 
more  and  man’s  decrees  and  anathemas  less. 
There  must  be  ventures  of  faith  in  the  living  God 
regarding  the  unity  of  His  Church,  as  distinct  as 
the  Apostle  Paul’s  experiences  in  his  break  with 
conservative  Judaism  and  going  out  beyond  where 
others  hesitated  to  go.  It  was  the  way  of  liv- 
ing truth  then  and  it  is  no  less  the  way  of  the 
same  living  truth  now.  As  says  Dr.  James 
Cooper  of  the  Church  of  Scotland, 

“ Peace  must  come  through  the  truth — the  truth  as  it 
is  in  Jesus,  stated,  apprehended,  grasped  with  intense 
realization  of  the  duties  it  imposes.” 

Facing  the  facts  of  the  divided  Church  with  its 
serious  complications  along  with  the  urgent  need 


100  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  ? 


of  interchurch  fellowship,  as  well  as  approaching 
the  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit  and  likewise  stand- 
ing in  the  daybreak  of  the  prophetic  dawn  of  new 
discoveries  of  truth,  we  must  be  concerned  be- 
cause it  is  the  concern  of  Christ.  These  things 
cannot  be  pushed  easily  aside  and  every  man 
continue  to  go  his  own  way  without  jeopardizing 
the  faith  of  the  Church  and  the  honour  of  Christ. 
* There  remains  to  be  said  that  there  are  seven 
, things  which  every  Christian  can  do  and  ought 
. to  do  to  brighten  the  outlook  for  Christian  unity 
and  hasten  its  consummation.  These  are : 

( 1 ) Praying,  earnest  praying  in  public  and  in 
private,  remembering  that  in  the  high-priestly 
prayer  of  Jesus  He  says, 

“ Holy  Father  ...  I pray  . . . that  they  may 
all  be  one;  even  as  Thou,  Father,  art  in  Me,  and  I in 
Thee,  that  they  also  may  be  in  Us:  that  the  world 
may  believe  that  Thou  didst  send  Me.”  ^ 

(2)  Thinking,  definite  thinking  in  the  terms 
of  ttrotherhood  of  all  Christians,  remembering 
Jesus  says, 

“ One  is  your  Teacher,  and  all  ye  are  brethren.”  ’ 

(3)  Speaking,  kindly  speaking  of  those 
Christians  in  other  communions  than  your  own 
with  a real  interest  in  their  welfare,  remembering 
that  the  Apostle  Paul  says, 

“ Not  looking  each  of  you  to  his  own  things,  but  each 
of  you  also  to  the  things  of  others.”  ’ 

^ John  17:21.  ® Matt.  23:8.  ® Phil.  2:4. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  101 


(4)  Conferring,  frankly  conferring  with 
those  of  other  communions  whenever  it  is  pos- 
sible, always  in  tlie  spirit  of  courteous  friendship, 
and  avoiding  the  dangers  attending  controversial 
methods,  which  belong  under  the  admonition  of 
the  Apostle  Paul,  when  he  says, 

“ Shun  foolish  questionings,  and  genealogies,  and 
strifes,  and  fightings  about  the  law;  for  they  are  un- 
profitable and  vain.  A factious  man  after  a first  and 
second  admonition  refuse;  knowing  that  such  a one  is 
perverted,  and  sinneth,  being  self-condemned.”^ 

(5)  Teaching,  patiently  teaching  the  prin- 
ciples of  Christian  brotherhood  and  the  unity  of 
the  Church  in  circles,  in  classes,  in  schools  and 
wherever  there  is  the  opportunity,  by  text-books, 
lectures,  literature,  conferences,  etc.,  with  ear- 
nestness and  intelligence,  so  that  there  may  be  a 
free  intercommunication  of  the  ideas  of  Christian 
unity  the  world  over,  destroying  the  menace  of 
ignorance  and  of  denominational  prejudice,  pro- 
ducing correct  ideas  of  brotherhood  among  all 
Christians  and  increasing  popular  understanding 
of  these  principles  that  make  for  peace  in  the 
House  of  Christ,  remembering  that  He  says, 

“ The  Holy  Spirit,  Whom  the  Father  will  send  in  My 
name.  He  shall  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  to  your 
remembrance  all  that  I said  unto  you.”’ 

(6)  Working,  heartily  working  together,  espe- 
cially those  communions  of  nearest  kinship,  enter- 
ing into  definite  negotiations  looking  toward  their 

‘Titus  3:9-11.  ’John  14:26. 


102  IFNOT  A UNITED  CHURCH— WHAT! 


formal  rapprochement  and  ultimate  union,  re- 
membering that  the  Apostle  Paul  says, 

“ We  are  God’s  fellow-workers:  ye  (the  whole  divided 
Corinthian  Church)  are  God’s  husbandry,  God’s  build- 
ing.” * 

(7)  Believing,  sincerely  believing  that  the 
prayer  and  purpose  of  Jesus  will  find  their  fulfil- 
ment in  a united  Christendom  and  indeed  they  are 
being  fulfilled  now,  remembering  that  Jesus  says, 

“All  things  whatsoever  ye  pray  and  ask  for,  believe 
that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them.”  * 

This  path  is  not  an  untrodden  highway.  There 
are  many  in  the  various  communions  walking  it 
and  each  additional  brother  who  enrolls  himself 
in  the  quest  for  the  unity  of  the  Church  of  God 
brightens  the  outlook  and  brings  us  nearer  to  the 
consummation  of  the  prayer  and  purpose  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  His  ministry  among  men. 

Every  Christian  must  examine  his  own  heart 
and  face  the  task  with  the  joy  of  the  new  con- 
sciousness of  brotherhood.  Unity  must  be  found 
first.  Its  basis  must  be  religious  rather  than 
theological.  Plans  of  cooperation  and  systems 
of  theology  will  follow.  The  Church  is  the  Body 
of  Christ  and  all  Christians  are  brothers.  Says 
the  Rev.  T.  A.  Lacey  in  his  “ Unity  and  Schism,” 

“ It  is  because  they  are  brothers  that  heresy  and 
schism  are  sins.  We  are,  in  point  of  fact,  one  divided 
family,  and  the  first  step  toward  reconciliation  is  the 
acknowledgment  of  brotherhood.  That  means  repent- 

’I  Cor.  3:9.  “Mark  11:24. 


CHEISTIAN  UNITY : ITS  OUTLOOK  103 


ence.  We  need  not  look  curiously  into  the  origins  of 
schism;  that  is  the  way  to  self-exculpation.  We  are 
not  called  to  the  easy  and  pleasant  but  unprofitable  task 
of  lamenting  the  sins  of  our  fathers,  and  building  the 
tombs  of  the  prophets  whom  they  slew.  We  are  called 
to  repent  of  our  own  sins;  not  of  one  another’s  sins, 
but  of  our  own ; the  sins  by  which  we  have  perpetuated 
discord.  And  repentance  means  renunciation.  We  are 
not  to  cast  away  things  tried  and  proved,  in  a vain  hope 
of  mutual  accommodation ; but  there  are  sacrifices  to  be 
made  before  those  things  are  approached.  A sacrifice 
should  be  the  giving  of  something  that  we  value,  some- 
thing of  cost.  And  it  must  be  offered,  not  in  hope  of 
gain — for  then  it  is  no  sacrifice — but  as  an  act  of  love. 
We  must  listen  to  the  cry,  albeit  raised  by  discordant 
voices,  ‘ Sirs,  ye  are  brethren ! ’ ” 

The  fact  of  brotherhood  must  become  as  per- 
manently established  in  human  thought  as  the  fact 
of  Christ.  As  upon  the  two  great  command- 
ments rest  the  law  and  the  prophets,  likewise 
upon  these  two  great  facts  rests  the  salvation  of 
the  world.  The  future  is  rich  with  the  promises 
of  God  and  the  spiritual  possibilities  of  mankind. 
An  infidel  world  is  the  price  we  are  paying  for  a 
divided  Church.  The  time  is  at  hand  when  the 
honour  of  Christ  and  the  salvation  of  a world 
must  rise  above  our  pride  of  party  and  content- 
ment of  divisions  in  obedience  to  the  will  of  God 
on  earth.  Sectarianism  must  be  abolished. 
Henceforth  let  no  man  glory  in  his  denomination ; * 
that  is  sectarianism : but  let  all  men  glory  in  * 
Christ  and  practice  brotherhood  with  men ; that  * 
is  Christianity.  • 


Appendix 


I 

THE  CALL  FOR  A WORLD  CONFERENCE  ON 

FAITH  AND  ORDER  BY  THE  PROTESTANT 
EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

At  the  General  Convention  of  1910  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America,  held 
in  Cincinnati,  the  following  report  was  presented  to  the 
House  of  Clerical  and  Lay  Deputies  on  October  19,  1910 ; 

The  Joint  Committee  to  which  was  referred  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  offered  in  the  House  of  Deputies  by 
the  Rev.  W.  T.  Manning,  D.  D.,  of  New  York: 

Resolved,  the  House  of  Bishops  concurring,  that  a 
joint  committee,  consisting  of  seven  bishops,  seven 
presbyters  and  seven  laymen,  be  appointed  to  take  under 
advisement  the  promotion  by  this  Church  of  a confer- 
ence following  the  general  method  of  the  World  Mis- 
sionary Conference,  to  be  participated  in  by  representa- 
tives of  all  Christian  bodies  throughout  the  world  which 
accept  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  God  and  Saviour,  for 
the  consideration  of  questions  pertaining  to  the  Faith 
and  Order  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  that  said  com- 
mittee, if  it  deem  such  a conference  feasible,  shall  report 
to  this  Convention ; 

have  considered  the  same,  and  submit  the  following  re- 
port, and  recommend  the  immediate  consideration  and 
passage  of  the  resolution  appended  to  the  report. 

104 


APPENDIX 


106 


“Your  committee  is  of  one  mind.  We  believe  that 
the  time  has  now  arrived  when  representatives  of  the 
whole  family  of  Christ,  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  may  be 
willing  to  come  together  for  the  consideration  of  ques- 
tions of  Faith  and  Order.  We  believe,  further,  that  all 
Christian  communions  are  in  accord  with  us  in  our 
desire  to  lay  aside  self-will,  and  to  put  on  the  mind 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  We  would  heed  this 
call  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  all  lowliness,  and  with 
singleness  of  purpose.  We  would  place  ourselves  by 
the  side  of  our  fellow  Christians,  looking  not  only  on 
our  own  things,  but  also  on  the  things  of  others,  con- 
vinced that  our  one  hope  of  mutual  understanding  is  in 
taking  personal  counsel  together  in  the  spirit  of  love  and 
forbearance.  It  is  our  conviction  that  such  a confer- 
ence for  the  purpose  of  study  and  discussion,  without 
power  to  legislate  or  to  adopt  resolutions,  is  the  next 
step  toward  unity. 

“ With  grief  for  our  aloofness  in  the  past,  and  for 
other  faults  of  pride  and  self-sufficiency,  which  make 
for  schism;  with  loyalty  to  the  truth  as  we  see  it,  and 
with  respect  for  the  convictions  of  those  who  differ 
from  us ; holding  the  belief  that  the  beginnings  of  unity 
are  to  be  found  in  the  clear  statement  and  full  con- 
sideration of  those  things  in  which  we  differ,  as  well  as 
of  those  things  in  which  we  are  at  one,  we  respectfully 
submit  the  following  resolution; 

" Whereas,  there  is  to-day  among  all  Christian  people 
a growing  desire  for  the  fulfilment  of  Our  Lord’s 
prayer  that  all  His  disciples  may  be  one;  that  the  world 
may  believe  that  God  has  sent  Him : 

“Resolved,  the  House  of  Bishops  concurring,  that  a 
joint  commission  be  appointed  to  bring  about  a confer- 
ence for  the  consideration  of  questions  touching  Faith 
and  Order,  and  that  all  Christian  communions  through- 
out the  world  which  confess  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as 
God  and  Saviour  be  asked  to  unite  with  us  in  arranging 
for  and  conducting  such  a conference.  The  Commission 
shall  consist  of  seven  bishops,  appointed  by  the  chairman 
of  the  House  of  Bishops,  and  seven  presbyters  and 


106  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT? 


seven  laymen,  appointed  by 
of  Deputies,  and  shall  have 
and  to  fill  any  vacancies 
General  Convention; 

GEORGE  W.  PETERKIN 
BOYD  VINCENT 
THOMAS  F.  GAIEOR 
WIEEIAM  EAWRENCE 
CHAREES  P.  ANDERSON 
REGINALD  H.  WELLER 
CHARLES  H.  BRENT 
WILLIAM  T.  MANNING 
ALEXANDER  MANN  . 
BEVERLY  E.  WARNER 
JOHN  E.  SULGER 


the  president  of  the  House 
power  to  add  to  its  number 
occurring  before  the  next 


CHARLES  N.  LATHROP 
WILLIAM  M.  CLARK 
B.  TALBOT  ROGERS 
ROBERT  H.  GARDINER 
GEORGE  WHARTON  PEPPER 
BURTON  MANSFIELD 
EDWARD  P.  bailey 
FRANCIS  L.  STETSON 
H.  D.  W.  ENGLISH 
W.  A.  ROBINSON 

Joint  Committee.” 


On  October  19,  1910,  the  above  resolution  was  adopted 
unanimously  by  both  the  House  of  Bishops  and  the 
House  of  Clerical  and  Lay  Deputies,  and  the  Joint 
Commission  appointed. 

The  officers  of  the  Commission  are: 


President 

Rt.  Rev.  Charles  P.  Anderson,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of 
Chicago,  1612  Prairie  Avenue,  Chicago,  Illinois. 


Chairman  of  Executive  Committee 
Rev.  William  T.  Manning,  D.  D., 

27  West  2Sth  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


T reasurer 

George  ZabriskiE,  D.  C.  L., 

49  Wall  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


Secretary 

Robert  H.  Gardiner, 

174  Water  Street,  Gardiner,  Maine. 


APPENDIX 


107 


II 

ASSOCIATION  FOR  THE  PROMOTION  OF 
CHRISTIAN  UNITY,  INC. 

Growing  out  of  a wide-spread  desire  for  Christian 
unity,  the  Disciples  of  Christ  at  their  General  Conven- 
tion at  Topeka,  Kansas,  in  October,  1910,  revived  the 
“ Christian  Association,”  which  was  an  organization 
started  in  1809  by  Thomas  Campbell,  a Presbyterian 
minister,  and  later  developed  into  what  is  now  the 
communion  known  as  “ Disciples  of  Christ.”  The  new 
organization,  which  was  started  on  the  same  day  that 
the  Protestant  Episcopalians  appointed  in  their  General 
Convention,  October  19,  1910,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
their  Commission  on  a World  Conference  on  Faith  and 
Order,  took  the  name  “Association  for  the  Promotion 
of  Christian  Unity,”  with  headquarters  in  Baltimore, 
Maryland. 

The  Association  recognizes  all  Christians  as  members 
of  the  Body  of  Christ — Greek  Orthodox,  Roman 
Catholic,  Anglican,  Protestants  and  all  others  who 
accept  Jesus  Christ  as  Lord  and  Saviour. 

Its  purpose  is  to  watch  for  every  indication  of 
Christian  unity  and  hasten  the  time  by  (i)  intercessory 
prayer,  not  only  on  the  part  of  its  members,  but  by 
organizing  leagues  of  prayer;  (2)  friendly  conferences, 
and  it  has  held  many  very  satisfactory  conferences  with 
the  leaders  of  various  communions  in  America  and  in 
Europe;  and  (3)  distribution  of  irenic  literature,  and  it 
has  distributed  hundreds  of  thousands  of  pages  of 
Christian  unity  literature,  written  by  leaders  in  the 
various  communions  of  Christendom.  The  Association 
aims  to  be  a depository  for  all  kinds  of  Christian  unity 
literature. 

There  are  four  commissions  in  the  Association ; 
Commission  on  Christian  Unity,  dealing  with  Christian 
unity  in  general;  Commission  on  a World  Conference 
on  Faith  and  Order;  Commission  on  Federation;  and 
Commission  on  International  Friendship.  To  all  these 


108  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


subjects  the  Association  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian 
Unity  has  spoken. 

Condition  of  memberhsip  in  the  Association  is  sym- 
pathy with  the  work  of  Christian  unity,  expressed  in 
prayer  and  cooperation,  and  the  payment  of  an  annual 
membership  fee  of  not  less  than  $2.50. 

Peter  Ainseie,  President. 

H.  C.  Armstrong,  Secretary, 

Seminary  House,  Baltimore,  Md. 


Ill 

THE  SECOND  INTERIM  REPORT  OF  THE 
BRITISH  COMMITTEE 

Second  Interim  Report  of  a sub-committee  appointed  by 
the  Archbishops  of  Canterbury  and  York’s  com- 
mittee and  by  representatives  of  the  English  Free 
Church’s  commissions,  in  connection  with  the  pro- 
posed World  Conference  on  Faith  and  Order. 

A MOVEMENT  has  been  initiated  in  America  by  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  which  has  been  widely 
taken  up  by  the  Christian  Churches  in  the  United 
States,  to  prepare  for  a world-wide  conference  on  Faith 
and  Order  with  the  view  of  promoting  the  visible  unity 
of  the  Body  of  Christ  on  earth.  In  response  to  an 
appeal  from  those  who  are  cooperating  in  America  a 
committee  was  appointed  by  the  Archbishops  of  Canter- 
bury and  York  and  commissions  by  the  Free  Churches 
to  promote  the  same  movement  in  England. 

This  joint  conference  has  already  issued  a First 
Interim  Report  prepared  by  a joint  sub-committee,  con- 
sisting of:— (i)  A statement  of  agreement  on  matters 
of  Faith;  (2)  A statement  of  agreement  on  matters 
relating  to  Order;  (3)  A statement  of  differences  in 
relation  to  matters  of  Order  which  require  further  study 
and  discussion. 

In  further  pursuit  of  the  main  purpose  the  sub-com- 
mittee was  reappointed  and  enlarged.  After  mature 


APPENDIX 


109 


and  prolonged  consideration  it  is  hereby  issuing  its 
Second  Interim  Report  under  the  direction  of  the  con- 
ference as  a whole,  but  on  the  understanding  that  the 
members  of  the  sub-committee  alone  are  to  be  held  re- 
sponsible for  the  substance  of  the  document. 

* * * 

In  issuing  our  Second  Interim  Report  we  desire  to 
prevent  possible  misconceptions  regarding  our  inten- 
tions. We  are  engaged,  not  in  formulating  any  basis 
of  reunion  for  Christendom,  but  in  preparing  for  the 
consideration  of  such  a basis  at  the  projected  Confer- 
ence on  Faith  and  Order.  We  are  exploring  the  ground 
in  order  to  discover  the  ways  of  approach  to  the  ques- 
tions to  be  considered  that  seem  most  promising  and 
hopeful.  In  our  first  report  we  were  not  attempting 
to  draw  up  a creed  for  subscription,  but  desired  to 
affirm  our  agreement  upon  certain  foundation  truths  as 
the  basis  of  a spiritual  and  rational  creed  and  life  for 
all  mankind  in  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord.  It  was  a matter 
of  profound  gratitude  to  God  that  we  found  ourselves 
so  far  in  agreement.  No  less  grateful  were  we  that  even 
as  regards  matters  relating  to  Order  we  were  able  to 
hold  certain  common  convictions,  though  in  regard  to 
these  we  were  forced  to  recognize  differences  of  inter- 
pretation. We  felt  deeply,  however,  that  we  could  not 
let  the  matter  rest  there;  but  that  we  must  in  confer- 
ence seek  to  understand  one  another  better,  in  order  to 
discover  if  even  on  the  questions  on  which  we  seemed  to 
differ  most  we  might  not  come  nearer  to  one  another. 

I.  In  all  our  discussions  we  were  guided  by  two  con- 
victions from  which  we  could  not  escape,  and  would 
not,  even  if  we  could. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  our  Lord  that  believers  in  Him 
should  be  one  visible  society,  and  this  unity  is  essential 
to  the  purpose  of  Christ  for  His  Church  and  for  its 
effective  witness  and  work  in  the  world.  The  conflict 
among  Christian  nations  has  brought  home  to  us  with  a 
greater  poignancy  the  disastrous  results  of  the  divi- 
sions which  prevail  among  Christians,  inasmuch  as  they 
have  hindered  that  growth  of  mutual  understanding 


110  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


which  it  should  be  the  function  of  the  Church  to  foster, 
and  because  a Church  which  is  itself  divided  cannot 
speak  effectively  to  a divided  world. 

The  visible  unity  of  believers  which  answers  to  our 
Lord’s  purpose  must  have  its  source  and  sanction,  not 
in  any  human  arrangements,  but  in  the  will  of  the  One 
Father,  manifested  in  the  Son,  and  effected  through 
the  operation  of  the  Spirit;  and  it  must  express  and 
maintain  the  fellowship  of  His  people  with  one  another 
in  Him.  Thus  the  visible  unity  of  the  Body  of  Christ 
is  not  adequately  expressed  in  the  cooperation  of  the 
Christian  Churches  for  moral  influence  and  social  serv- 
ice, though  such  cooperation  might  with  great  advantage 
be  carried  much  further  than  it  is  at  present;  it  could 
only  be  fully  realized  through  community  of  worship, 
faith  and  order,  including  common  participation  in  the 
Lord’s  Supper.  This  would  be  quite  compatible  with 
a rich  diversity  in  life  and  worship. 

2.  In  suggesting  the  conditions  under  which  this  vis- 
ible unity  might  be  realized  we  desire  to  set  aside  for 
the  present  the  abstract  discussion  of  the  origin  of  the 
episcopate  historically,  or  its  authority  doctrinally;  and 
to  secure  for  that  discussion  when  it  comes,  as  it  must 
come,  at  the  Conference,  an  atmosphere  congenial  not 
to  controversy,  but  to  agreement.  This  can  be  done 
only  by  facing  the  actual  situation  in  order  to  discover 
if  any  practical  proposals  could  be  made  that  would 
bring  the  episcopal  and  non-episcopal  communions 
nearer  to  one  another.  Further,  the  proposals  are 
offered  not  as  a basis  for  immediate  action,  but  for 
the  sympathetic  and  generous  consideration  of  all  the 
Churches. 

The  first  fact  which  we  agree  to  acknowledge  is  that 
the  position  of  episcopacy  in  the  greater  part  of  Chris- 
tendom as  the  recognized  organ  of  the  unity  and  con- 
tinuity of  the  Church  is  such  that  the  members  of  the 
episcopal  Churches  ought  not  to  be  expected  to  abandon 
it  in  assenting  to  any  basis  of  reunion. 

The  second  fact  which  we  agree  to  acknowledge  is 
that  there  are  a number  of  Christian  Churches  not 


APPENDIX 


111 


accepting  the  episcopal  order  which  have  been  used  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  His  work  of  enlightening  the  world, 
converting  sinners,  and  perfecting  saints.  They  came 
into  being,  through  reaction  from  grave  abuses  in  the 
Church  at  the  time  of  their  origin,  and  were  led  in  re- 
sponse to  fresh  apprehensions  of  divine  truth  to  give 
expression  to  certain  types  of  Christian  experience, 
aspiration  and  fellowship,  and  to  secure  rights  of  the 
Christian  people  which  had  been  neglected  or  denied. 
In  view  of  these  two  facts,  if  the  visible  unity  so  much 
desired  within  the  Church  and  so  necessary  for  the  testi- 
mony and  influence  of  the  Church  in  the  world  is  ever  to 
be  realized,  it  is  imperative  that  the  episcopal  and  non- 
episcopal  communions  shall  approach  one  another  not 
by  the  method  of  human  compromise,  but  in  correspond- 
ence with  God’s  own  way  of  reconciling  differences  in 
Christ  Jesus.  What  we  desire  to  see  is  not  grudging 
concession,  but  a willing  acceptance  for  the  common  en- 
richment of  the  united  Church  of  the  wealth  distinctive 
of  each. 

Looking  as  frankly  and  as  widely  as  possible  at  the 
whole  situation,  we  desire  with  a due  sense  of  respon- 
sibility to  submit  for  the  serious  consideration  of  all  the 
parts  of  a divided  Christendom  what  seem  to  us  the 
necessary  conditions  of  any  possibility  of  reunion : 

1.  That  continuity  with  the  historic  episcopate  should 
be  effectively  preserved. 

2.  That  in  order  that  the  rights  and  responsibilities 
of  the  whole  Christian  community  in  the  government  of 
the  Church  may  be  adequately  recognized,  the  episco- 
pate should  reassume  a constitutional  form,  both  as 
regards  the  method  of  the  election  of  the  bishop  as  by 
clergy  and  people,  and  the  method  of  government  after 
election.  It  is  perhaps  necessary  that  we  should  call  to 
mind  that  such  was  the  primitive  ideal  and  practise  of 
episcopacy  and  it  so  remains  in  many  episcopal  com- 
munions to-day. 

3.  That  acceptance  of  the  fact  of  episcopacy  and 
not  any  theory  as  to  its  character  should  be  all  that  is 
asked  for.  We  think  that  this  may  be  the  more  easily 


112  IFNOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  1 


taken  for  granted  as  the  acceptance  of  any  such  theory 
is  not  now  required  of  ministers  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land. It  would  no  doubt  be  necessary  before  any  ar- 
rangement for  corporate  reunion  could  be  made  to  dis- 
cuss the  exact  functions  which  it  may  be  agreed  to 
recognize  as  belonging  to  the  episcopate,  but  we  think 
this  can  be  left  to  the  future. 

The  acceptance  of  episcopacy  on  these  terms  should 
not  involve  any  Christian  community  in  the  necessity  of 
disowning  its  past,  but  should  enable  all  to  maintain 
the  continuity  of  their  witness  and  influence  as  heirs  and 
trustees  of  types  of  Christian  thought,  life  and  order, 
not  only  of  value  to  themselves  but  of  value  to  the 
Church  as  a whole.  Accordingly  we  hope  and  desire 
that  each  of  these  communions  would  bring  its  own 
distinctive  contribution,  not  only  to  the  common  life  of 
the  Church,  but  also  to  its  methods  of  organization,  and 
that  all  that  is  true  in  the  experience  and  testimony  of 
the  uniting  communions  would  be  conserved  to  the 
Church.  Within  such  a recovered  unity  we  should 
agree  in  claiming  that  the  legitimate  freedom  of  pro- 
phetic ministry  should  be  carefully  preserved;  and  in 
anticipating  that  many  customs  and  institutions  which 
have  been  developed  in  separate  communities  may  be 
preserved  within  the  larger  unity  of  which  they  have 
come  to  form  a part. 

We  have  carefully  avoided  any  discussion  of  the 
merits  of  any  polity,  or  any  advocacy  of  one  form  in 
preference  to  another.  All  we  have  attempted  is  to 
show  how  reunion  might  be  brought  about,  the  con- 
ditions of  the  existing  Churches  and  the  convictions 
held  regarding  these  questions  by  their  members  being 
what  they  are.  As  we  are  persuaded  that  it  is  on  these 
lines  and  these  alone  that  the  subject  can  be  approached 
with  any  prospect  of  any  measure  of  agreement,  we  do 
earnestly  ask  the  members  of  the  Churches  to  which  we 
belong  to  examine  carefully  our  conclusions  and  the 
facts  on  which  they  are  based,  and  to  give  them  all 
the  weight  that  they  deserve. 

In  putting  forward  these  proposals  we  do  so  because 


APPENDIX 


113 


it  must  be  felt  by  all  good-hearted  Christians  as  an  in- 
tolerable burden  to  find  themselves  permanently  sep- 
arated in  respect  of  religious  worship  and  communion 
from  those  in  whose  characters  and  lives  they  recognize 
the  surest  evidences  of  the  indwelling  Spirit;  and  be- 
cause, as  becomes  increasingly  evident,  it  is  only  as  a 
body,  praying,  taking  counsel,  and  acting  together,  that 
the  Church  can  hope  to  appeal  to  men  as  the  Body  of 
Christ,  that  is  Christ’s  visible  organ  and  instrument  in 
the  world,  in  which  the  Spirit  of  brotherhood  and  of 
love  as  wide  as  humanity  finds  effective  expression. 

(Signed) 

G.  W.  Bath  : & Wei,!,  : 

{Chairman). 

E.  Winton: 

C.  Oxon: 

W.  T.  Davison. 

A.  E.  Garvie. 

H.  ly.  Goudge. 

J.  Scott  Lidgett. 

W.  B.  Seebie. 

J.  H.  Shakespeare. 

Eugene  Stock. 

WiEEiAM  Temple. 

Tissington  Tatlow  {Hon.  Sec.). 

H.  G.  Wood. 

March,  1918. 


IV 

THE  CALL  FOR  A CONFERENCE  ON  ORGANIC 
UNION  OF  THE  EVANGELICAL  PROTES- 
TANT BODIES  IN  AMERICA  BY  THE 
PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN 
THE  U.  S.  A. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.,  in  common 
with  other  evangelical  communions,  has  felt  an  in- 
creasing desire  for  a closer  union  of  the  Christian 
bodies  of  America.  This  desire  has  been  greatly 
augmented  since  the  outbreak  of  the  world  war  which 
is  drawing  our  people  together  along  all  lines  of  their 


114  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHURCH— WHAT  f 


life,  and  was  given  definite  expression  by  the  action  of 
the  130th  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  the  U.  S.  A.,  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  1918,  which  recorded 
the  “profound  conviction  that  the  time  has  come  for 
organic  union  of  the  evangelical  Churches  of  America,” 
and  provided  “ that  this  Assembly  hereby  overtures  the 
national  bodies  of  the  evangelical  communions  of 
America  to  meet  with  our  representatives  for  the  pur- 
pose of  formulating  a plan  of  organic  union.” 

In  taking  this  action  the  purpose  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  is  simply  to  invite  her  brethren  in  Christ  to 
meet  and  counsel  together  with  a view  to  finding  a way 
by  which  we  may  outwardly  and  concretely  express  that 
spiritual  union  which  we  believe  already  exists  among 
the  people  of  Christ. 

Our  Church  is  further  moved  to  this  step  by  her 
sense  of  the  new  and  heavy  responsibilities  now  resting 
on  us  all,  and  which  must  grow  heavier  in  the  new  day 
coming  to  the  world  as  the  result  of  the  great  war,  re- 
sponsibilities which  we  feel  cannot  be  adequately  met 
in  our  separate  capacities,  but  which  we  are  persuaded 
can  be  effectively  carried  by  a union  of  existing  forces. 
Such  a consummation  would  present  to  mankind  a 
united  witness  of  our  common  faith  and  also  equip  and 
perfect  the  Church  for  the  maximum  of  service  to  her 
Lord  and  the  world  for  which  He  died. 

Wm.  H.  Roberts, 
Chairman  Committee  on  Church 
Cooperation  and  Union. 

Witherspoon  Building, 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

A preliminary  conference  composed  of  the  representa- 
tives of  seventeen  churches  met  in  Philadelphia  and  on 
December  5,  1918,  took  the  following  action ; 

1.  That  the  members  of  this  Conference  from  each 
communion,  whether  present  in  official  or  personal 
capacity,  be  asked  as  soon  as  possible  to  appoint  repre- 
sentatives on  an  ad  interim  committee  to  carry  forward 
the  movement  toward  organic  union  here  initiated. 

2.  The  committee  shall  be  composed  of  one  member 


APPENDIX 


116 


from  each  communion,  and  one  additional  member  for 
each  500,000  communicants,  or  major  fraction  thereof. 
In  addition,  the  Foreign  Missions  Conference  and  the 
Home  Missions  Council  shall  each  be  asked  to  name  one 
member. 

3.  The  same  privilege  of  membership  on  the  com- 
mittee shall  be  extended  to  evangelical  denominations 
not  represented  here. 

4.  The  members  of  the  committee  appointed  by  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.  are  asked  to  act 
as  the  nucleus  and  convener  of  the  ad  interim  committee. 

5.  This  ad  interim  committee  shall  be  charged  with 
the  following  duties : 

(a)  To  develop  and  use  at  its  discretion,  agencies 
and  methods  for  discovering  and  creating  interest  in 
the  subject  of  organic  union  throughout  the  Churches 
of  the  country. 

(b)  To  make  provision  for  presenting  by  personal 
delegations,  or  otherwise,  to  the  national  bodies  of  all 
the  evangelical  communions  of  the  United  States,  urgent 
invitations  to  participate  in  an  interdenominational 
council  on  organic  union. 

(c)  To  lay  before  the  bodies  thus  approached  the 
steps  necessary  for  the  holding  of  such  council,  in- 
cluding the  plan  and  basis  of  representation,  and  the 
date  of  the  Council  which  shall  be  as  early  as  possible, 
and  in  any  event,  not  later  than  1920. 

(d)  To  prepare  for  presentation  to  such  council  when 
it  shall  assemble  a suggested  plan  or  plans  of  organic 
union. 

(e)  To  consider  and  report  upon  any  legal  matters 
related  to  the  plan  or  plans  of  union  which  it  may 
propose. 

6.  In  addition  to  the  above,  the  ad  interim  committee 
is  directed  to  report  to  the  interdenominational  council 
on  any  and  all  matters  within  the  field  of  its  inquiries. 
The  committee  will  be  subject  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Council. 

In  requesting  the  ad  interim  committee  to  undertake 
the  arduous  task  outlined,  the  conference  desires  the 


116  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  I 


committee  to  proceed  with  freedom  at  every  point.  As 
of  possible  assistance,  however,  in  the  deliberations,  the 
conference  expresses  its  present  judgment  as  to  certain 
aspects  of  the  problem  to  be  faced. 

1.  The  conference  is  profoundly  solicitous  that  the 
effort  for  organic  union  shall  have  first  regard  to 
those  forces  of  vital  spiritual  life  which  alone  give 
meaning  to  our  effort.  No  mechanical  uniformity  must 
be  sought,  nor  any  form  of  organization  which  ignores 
or  thwarts  the  free  movement  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  in 
the  hearts  of  His  servants. 

2.  In  line  with  this  desire  the  conference  hopes  the 
committee  will  be  able  to  devise  plans  so  broad  and 
flexible  as  to  make  place  for  all  the  evangelical 
Churches  of  the  land,  whatever  their  outlook  of  tra- 
dition, temperament  or  taste,  whatever  their  relation- 
ships racially  or  historically. 

3.  The  conference  regards  with  deep  interest  and 
warm  approbation  all  the  movements  of  our  time 
toward  closer  cooperative  relations  between  com- 
munions, especially  the  notable  service  rendered  by  the 
Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  America. 
While  the  ad  interim  committee’s  aim  and  function  will 
lie  in  a field  entirely  different  from  those  movements, 
it  will  be  expected  to  maintain  sympathetic  relations 
with  them,  and  to  regard  with  satisfaction  any  rein- 
forcement which  its  activities  may  bring  to  them. 

4.  The  notice  of  the  committee  is  directed  to  the 
efforts  for  organic  union  represented  in  other  lands, 
especially  the  Churches  of  Canada.  The  remarkable 
and  significant  statement  recently  issued  by  a joint 
committee  of  Anglican  and  Free  Churches  of  Great 
Britain  will  also  call  for  the  study  of  the  committee. 

5.  The  conference  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  in 
its  search  for  a plan  of  organic  union,  the  committee 
will  not  be  precluded  from  considering  plans  of  federal 
union  such  as  are  in  varying  forms  present  to  the  minds 
of  members  of  this  conference.  Our  nation  is  a federal 
union,  but  is  not  the  less  an  organic  union.  Care  should 
be  used  not  to  confuse  the  term  “ federal  ” as  thus  em- 


APPENDIX 


117 


ployed,  with  this  meaning  when  used  to  signify  “as- 
sociated ” or  “ cooperative.” 

6.  Last  of  all,  the  conference  declares  its  hope  and 
longing,  that  the  evangelical  Churches  may  give  them- 
selves with  a new  faith  and  ardour  to  the  proclamation 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  which  is  the  only  hope  of  our 
stricken  world,  and  to  all  those  ministries  of  Christian 
love  and  leading  for  the  community,  the  nation  and  the 
nations,  by  which  they  shall  reveal  to  men  the  mind  of 
Christ  and  hasten  the  coming  of  His  kingdom. 

Attest : — 


Wm.  H.  Roberts, 
Chairman  Business  Committee. 

Hubert  C.  Herring, 
Secretary  Business  Committee. 


V 

PROPOSED  ECUMENICAL  CONFERENCE 

MEMORANDUM 
Presented  by 

The  Most  Rev.  the  Archbishop  of  Uppsala  to  the  In- 
ternational Committee  of  the  World  Alliance  for 
Promoting  International  Friendship  through  the 
Churches  at  The  Hague,  October  2nd,  1919. 

The  need  of  witnessing  to  the  unity  of  all  true  be- 
lievers around  the  Cross  of  Christ  was  felt  in  many 
quarters  during  the  war. 

A declaration  was  issued  to  this  effect  already  in 
November,  1914,  by  representatives  of  the  Church  in 
neutral  countries,  i.  e.  by  the  Federal  Council  in  the 
U.  S.  A.  and  by  representatives  of  the  Church  in 
Denmark,  Holland,  Norway,  Switzerland  and  Sweden; 
further,  by  two  bishops  in  belligerent  countries,  i.  e. 
by  the  Archbishop  of  Finland  and  by  Bishop  Ferenez, 
Transylvania.  Late  in  the  summer  of  1917  the  bishops 
of  Seeland,  Denmark  and  Christiania,  Norway,  and  my- 
self from  Sweden,  issued  an  invitation  to  an  ecumenical 


118  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT! 


conference.  Our  invitation  was  favourably  received  by 
Christians  and  representative  bodies  in  different 
Churches  and  countries  on  both  sides  belonging  to  the 
evangelical  part  of  the  Catholic  Church  and  to  the 
orthodox  part  of  the  Catholic  Church.  As  to  the  great 
third  part  of  that  Church,  the  Roman  part,  sympathies 
were  expressed  strongly  by  the  Archbishop  of  Warsaw 
in  the  name  of  the  whole  episcopate  in  Poland.  Cardinal 
Gasparri  wrote  on  behalf  of  the  pope. 

Delegates  were  appointed  by  religious  authorities  in 
Hungary,  in  Germany,  in  Great  Britain,  by  the  Holy 
Synods  in  Constantinople  and  Athens,  and  churchmen 
from  other  countries,  e.  g.  America,  expected  to  come. 
However,  as  several  difficulties,  especially  in  obtaining 
passports,  made  a really  representative  gathering  from 
both  sides  impossible,  we  held  an  international  confer- 
ence in  December,  1917,  in  Uppsala,  with  representatives 
from  five  neutral  countries  only.  Its  general  state- 
ments on  international  brotherhood,  state  and  social 
life  have  found  acceptance  in  different  quarters  of  the 
Church.  Our  invitation  was  reiterated  twice  for  two 
different  epochs  in  the  year  1918,  but  it  was  not  possible 
to  have  an  ecumenical  meeting  during  the  war.  All  our 
correspondents,  religious  bodies  as  well  as  individual 
churchmen,  have  been  absolutely  unanimous  as  to  the 
necessity  of  an  ecumenical  conference  after  peace. 

Meanwhile,  quite  independently  of  our  action,  efforts 
had  been  made  for  such  a gathering  of  believers.  Thus, 
in  Great  Britain  in  1917  the  British  Council  for  pro- 
moting an  international  Christian  meeting  was  founded, 
and  opened  an  energetic  activity.  An  ecumenical  con- 
ference was  also  proposed  by  the  British  branch  of  our 
World  Alliance,  by  the  important  parts  of  the  Church  in 
Hungary,  and  from  Switzerland. 

Already  in  1916  the  Federal  Council  in  U.  S.  A. 
started  action  in  the  same  direction.  Now  that  Federal 
Council  has  proposed  a really  official  ecumenical  con- 
ference for  next  year.  Thus  it  seems  to  be  evident 
that  Christendom  in  the  north  of  Europe,  the  Federal 
Council  and  leading  men  in  Great  Britain  and  on  the 


APPENDIX 


119 


continent  are  unanimous  in  desiring  a gathering,  as 
ecumenical  as  possible,  during  next  year  or  at  the 
epoch  that  will  prove  advisable. 

Now  a few  words  (i)  on  the  character  of  such  a 
gathering,  (2)  on  the  comprehensiveness  of  it,  and  (3) 
on  the  place  where  it  might  be  held. 

I.  Our  task  is  not  to  bring  organizations  together, 
but  to  unite  hearts  and  minds  and  endeavours.  True 
believers  and  followers  of  Christ  have  always  been  a 
minority  even  in  the  Christian  communions,  and  they 
will  ever  remain  a minority.  But  it  is  essential  to  use 
for  Christian  aims  all  communions  of  the  Church,  and 
all  Christian  organizations  to  which  it  is  our  privilege 
to  belong. 

Our  ecumenical  conference  has  to  be  clearly  dis- 
tinguished from  the  great  task  that  is  called  the  World 
Conference  on  Faith  and  Order.  The  commission  sent 
to  Europe  for  that  World  Conference  quite  agreed  with 
us  in  that  respect.  Our  conference  may  be  a most  im- 
portant preparation  for  the  World  Conference  on  Faith 
and  Order,  but  it  will  not  deal  with  Faith  nor  Order, 
but  some  well-defined  urgent  practical  aims. 

Union  for  such  purposes  does  not  require  unity  in 
Faith  and  Order.  I remind  you  of  the  doctrine  in  the 
Augsburg  Confession  and  the  Thirty-nine  Articles  in 
that  respect.  Dr.  Carroll  renders  the  same  doctrine  in 
his  Primer  on  Church  Unity,  answer  49.  Uniformity 
is  not  necessary  for  common  preaching  and  striving  in 
actual  needs  of  mankind.  The  Report  of  the  Arch- 
bishop’s Fifth  Questionnaire  says  (page  2)  : " We  say 
deliberately  that  in  the  region  of  moral  or  social  ques- 
tions we  desire  all  Christians  to  bepn  at  once  to  act 
toother  as  if  they  were  one  body  in  one  visible  fellow- 
ship. This  could  be  done  by  all  alike  without  any  in- 
jury to  theological  principles.” 

^ I have  tried  to  define  the  chief  objects  of  the  ecumen- 
ical conference  in  an  article  which  appeared  some  weeks 
ago  in  The  Contemporary  Review,  London.  They  seem 
to  me  to  be:  (A)  Common  doctrine  and  endeavour 
for  international  Christian  brotherhood  and  organized 


120  IFNOTATJinTEDCHTJBCH— WHAT? 


unity  o£  nations;  (B)  Christian  principles  and  action 
for  social  renewal  of  society;  further  (C)  a common 
voice  must  be  created  for  the  Christian  conscience.  I 
advocate  an  ecumenical  council  representing  Christen- 
dom in  a spiritual  way. 

2.  As  to  the  comprehensiveness  of  this  proposed 
gathering,  good  reasons  speak  for  beginning  with 
evangelical.  Christendom  only,  in  order  to  create  a com- 
mon platform  for  our  part  of  the  Catholic  Church 
before  inviting  the  Orthodox  and  Roman  divisions  of 
the  Church. 

But  there  are  also  good  reasons  and  warm  sympathies 
for  forming  the  scope  as  comprehensive  as  possible  at 
once. 

3.  As  to  the  place  of  the  conference  my  brethren  in 
Copenhagen  and  Christiania  and  myself  who  form  since 
November,  1914,  a committee  on  Christian  unity,  have 
reiterated  our  invitation  to  one  of  the  Scandinavian 
countries. 

“ Christiania,  Copenhagen,  Uppsaea, 
8th  September,  1919. 

“A  deep  sense  of  the  responsibility  and  of  the  pos- 
sibilities for  the  Christian  Church  in  the  present  crisis 
of  our  civilization  forced  us  more  than  two  years  ago 
to  invite  the  various  sections  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
and  leading  churchmen  in  different  countries  to  an 
international  Christian  conference,  in  order  to  strengthen 
by  prayer  and  mutual  understanding  the  conviction  of 
unity  among  all  believers  in  Christ  in  testifying  that  the 
Cross  of  Christ  is  the  uniting  force  that  transcends  all 
earthly  divisions. 

“ The  task  of  that  conference  should  also  be  that 
of  taking  up  those  complicated  questions  that  have 
arisen  concerning  international  Christian  fellowship,  the 
social  and  economical  renewal,  the  value  of  lawful  order, 
and  other  heavy  duties  of  our  Christendom  which  have 
been  more  or  less  neglected,  and  in  regard  to  which 
there  ought  to  be  common  doctrine  and  preaching,  and 
a common  indefatigable  endeavour  amongst  all  be- 
lievers and  in  all  sections  of  the  Church. 


APPENDIX 


121 


“Ojr  undertaking  was  received  with  sympathy  by 
different  groups  of  the  Church  in  belligerent  countries 
as  well  as  in  our  neutral  parts  of  the  world.  It  is 
especially  noteworthy  that  in  England,  quite  irrespective 
of  our  initiative,  activities  from  various  directions  were 
set  in  motion  to  promote  such  a conference. 

“ Various  difficulties  prevented  the  conference  from 
meeting  in  its  intended  form,  and  we  preferred  to  con- 
fine ourselves  to  a conference  of  neutrals,  instead  of 
having  a conference  without  a fair  and  full  representa- 
tion of  Christendom  from  both  of  the  then  belligerent 
parties. 

“ The  conference,  which  met  at  Uppsala  in  December, 
1917,  made  considerable  contributions  to  the  aims  of  an 
ecumenical  gathering,  which  it  is  one  of  our  chief  duties 
now  to  prepare  and  organize.  We,  servants  of  the 
Church  in  the  three  Scandinavian  countries,  hereby  beg 
to  invite  an  ecumenical  conference  to  meet  in  one  of 
our  countries,  in  Uppsala,  Christiania,  or  Copenhagen, 
or  another  place  in  Scandinavia,  during  the  following 
year,  possibly  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer. 

“ We  understand  that  our  fellow-Christians  in  the 
Scandinavian  countries  would  consider  it  a great  privi- 
lege to  receive  such  a gathering,  and  that  our  proposed 
conference  will  not  in  any  part  of  the  world  be  sup- 
ported with  warmer,  wider  and  deeper  sympathy  and 
with  more  ardent  intercession  than  in  Scandinavia, 
where  the  need  of  such  a manifestation  of  the  unity  of 
the  Church  and  of  preparation’ for  the  duties  imperi- 
ously imposed  by  the  time,  has  been  alive  and  strong 
during  those  apocalyptic  years. 

“ In  mutual  service  for  Christ,  we  remain, 

“ Yours  faithfully, 

“ H.  OsTBNFEi,D, 

Bishop  of  Se eland,  Denmark. 

"Jens  Tandberg, 

Bishop  of  Christiania,  Norway. 

“ Nathan  Soderbeom, 
Archbishop  of  Uppsala,  Sweden.” 


122  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


PROPOSED  ECUMENICAE  CONFERENCE 

Resolution  passed  by  the  International  Committee  of  the 
World  Alliance  for  Promoting  International  friend- 
ship through  the  Churches  at  its  meeting  at  The 
Hague  on  October  2nd,  iQig. 

That  the  International  Committee  o£  the  World  Al- 
liance desires  to  express  its  deep  sympathy  with  the 
proposal  for  an  ecumenical  conference  of  the  different 
Christian  communions  to  consider  urgent  practical  tasks 
before  the  Church  at  this  time,  and  the  possibilities  of 
cooperation  in  testimony  and  actiom 

The  committee  expresses  the  conviction  that  such  a 
conference,  if  it  can  be  arranged,  will  prove  an  in- 
estimable blessing  to  mankind. 

That  this  resolution  be  referred  to  each  national 
council  with  the  request  that  it  be  communicated  to  the 
Churches  in  their  respective  countries. 

Nathan  Sodeebwm. 


VI 

THE  INTERCHURCH  WORLD  MOVEMENT  OF 
NORTH  AMERICA 

First  Steps 

The  call  for  a conference  on  this  important  subject 
was  issued  by  the  Foreign  Missionary  Board  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  South.  Representatives  of  mis- 
sion boards  and  allied  interests  in  the  United  States 
and  Canada  were  asked  to  meet  in  New  York  City 
on  the  seventeenth  of  December,  1918.  One  hundred 
and  thirty-five  persons  responded,  representing  most 
of  these  organizations.  Those  present  were  unani- 
mously agreed  that  the  time  had  come  for  the  working 
bodies  of  the  several  denominations  to  endeavour  so 
to  relate  their  activities  as  to  present  a united  front 
before  the  world  and  at  the  same  time  secure  greater 


APPENDIX 


123 


eflSciency,  with  a corresponding  increase  of  influence 
and  power,  not  to  speak  of  the  economies  which  would 
naturally  result. 

As  a further  evidence  that  the  Spirit  of  God  was 
moving,  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  at  about 
the  same  time  called  a meeting  at  Atlantic  City  with  a 
similar  purpose  in  view.  Ninety  persons  responded  to 
this  call,  and  the  same  unanimity  of  opinion  was  ex- 
pressed as  to  the  Church’s  needs  and  obligations  as  in 
the  other  assembly. 

At  the  New  York  meeting  a committee  of  twenty  was 
created,  which  included  many  of  the  outstanding  Chris- 
tian leaders  of  the  United  States  and  Canada.  This 
committee  was  charged  with  the  task  of  formulating 
a preliminary  statement  that  might  serve  as  a working 
basis  for  the  development  of  plans  for  such  a coopera- 
tive effort  as  seemed  called  for.  This  committee  has 
been  singularly  successful  in  bringing  together  the  lead- 
ers of  the  many  Christian  forces  which  are  moving  in 
the  same  direction.  The  result  of  their  work  is  the 
Interchurch  World  Movement. 

Purpose  and  Scope 

In  order  that  there  may  be  clear  understanding  re- 
garding the  purpose  and  scope  of  the  movement,  it 
seems  best  to  quote  certain  sections  from  the  report 
of  the  Committee  of  Twenty  as  adopted  by  the  several 
bodies  listed  in  the  foregoing: 

“ To  present  a unified  programme  of  Christian  service 
and  to  unite  the  Protestant  Churches  of  North  America 
in  the  performance  of  their  common  task,  thus  making 
available  the  values  of  spiritual  power  which  come  from 
unity  and  coordinated  Christian  effort  and  meeting  the 
unique  opportunities  of  the  new  era.” 

“ While  primarily  a Home  and  Foreign  Missionary 
Movement,  the  movement  is  to  be  broad  enough  to 
cover  all  those  interests  in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
outside  of  the  local  Church  budget  which  are  naturally 
related  to  the  missionary  enterprise  through  national 
agencies,  denominational  or  interdenominational.” 


124  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT  f 


Survey 

A thorough  united  survey  of  the  home  and  foreign 
fields  of  the  world  will  be  made  for  the  purpose  of  se- 
curing accurate  and  complete  data  as  to  what  ought  to 
be  done  by  the  combined  Churches  to  meet  the  needs 
of  the  hour,  and  of  at  least  the  next  five  years. 

Fieed  Campaign 

A field  campaign  will  be  undertaken  to  bring  before 
the  Churches  a knowledge  of  the  needs  of  the  com- 
munity, the  nation,  and  the  world,  as  revealed  by  the 
surveys;  to  arouse  the  Church  to  the  realization  of  the 
urgency  of  cooperative  effort  in  meeting  these  needs,  and 
also  to  inspire  and  complete  an  organization  of  the 
Christian  forces  competent  to  undertake  an  adequate 
world  programme.  During  the  field  campaign  special 
emphasis  will  be  put  upon  education,  intercession  and 
stewardship,  and  an  attempt  will  be  made  to  make  ef- 
fective the  necessary  resources  of  spiritual  power,  life 
and  money  needed  to  carry  out  the  world  programme. 

John  R.  Mott, 

Chairman  Executive  Committee, 

S.  Bare  Tayeor, 

General  Secretary, 
347  Madison  Ave.,  New  York  City. 


VII 

TOURING  IN  THE  INTEREST  OF  CHRISTIAN 
UNITY 

(An  Editorial  from  The  Christian  Union  Quarterly, 
October,  1919,  and  included  here  as  one  of  the 
methods  in  awakening  interest  in  Christian  unity.) 

The  editor  of  this  journal  made  a tour  during  a part 
of  May  and  all  of  June  from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the 
middle  west  of  the  United  States,  speaking  and  holding 
conferences  in  fourteen  places.  The  purpose  of  this 


APPENDIX 


125 


tour  was  not  so  much  to  convey  information  regarding 
the  Christian  union  movement,  as  it  was  to  find  at  first 
hand  the  mind  of  the  Church  regarding  this  great  issue. 

The  plan  was  to  meet  in  an  informal  conference  a 
group  of  ministers  and  laymen  to  the  number  of  forty 
to  sixty,  including  all  communions  in  the  city,  then  in 
the  afternoon  of  that  day  or  the  next  day  to  meet  a 
group  of  women  representing  all  communions.  In  most 
instances  a public  meeting  was  held  in  the  evening,  and 
on  Sunday  sometimes  the  whole  day  was  given  to 
Christian  unity,  as  was  done  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  under 
the  direction  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Lewis  W.  Burton,  bishop 
of  that  diocese.  In  that  instance  there  was  a Christian 
unity  ser\'ice  in  the  First  Methodist  Church  at  eleven 
o’clock,  a union  service  of  all  the  Churches  of  Lexington 
in  Christ  Episcopal  Cathedral  at  four  o’clock,  and  a 
Christian  unity  service  at  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
at  eight  o’clock.  In  some  cities  an  Episcopalian  had 
charge  of  all  arrangements,  in  others.  Disciples,  Con- 
gregationalists,  etc.  Rev.  E.  L.  Goodwin,  editor  of 
The  Southern  Churchman,  and  Rev.  H.  D.  C.  Maclachlan 
were  chairmen  for  Richmond;  Rt.  Rev.  Lewis  W. 
Burton  and  Rev.  I.  J.  Spencer,  for  Lexington;  Rev. 
A.  B.  Philputt,  for  Indianapolis;  Rev.  Edgar  DeWitt 
Jones,  for  Bloomington;  Rev.  F.  W.  Rothenburger,  for 
Springfield;  Rev.  Mr.  Armstrong,  secretary  of  the  City 
Federation,  for  St.  Louis;  Rev.  R.  B.  Briney,  for 
Carthage,  Mo. ; Hon.  H.  M.  Beardsley,  a Congrega- 
tionalist,  for  Kansas  City;  Rev.  M.  Lee  Sorey,  for 
Lawrence,  Kansas;  Rev.  W.  A.  Shullenberger,  for  Des 
Moines;  Rev.  A.  M.  Haggard,  for  Boone,  la.;  Rev. 
C.  C.  Morrison,  editor  of  The  Christian  Century,  for 
Chicago;  Rev.  R.  W.  Woodroofe,  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Goldner,  for  Cleveland,  etc. 

In  most  instances  at  the  noon  hour  a luncheon  for 
fifty  to  a hundred  was  provided,  and  in  other  instances 
a public  dinner  in  the  evening  for  several  hundred. 
Especially  was  this  so  in  Chicago  under  the  direction 
of  Rev.  C.  C.  Morrison.  Mr.  Robert  H.  Gardiner, 
Gardiner,  Maine,  secretary  of  the  Commission  on  the 


126  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WH  AT  ! 


World  Conference  on  Faith  and  Order,  was  with  me 
in  Baltimore  and  Richmond  and  Rev.  F.  W.  Burnham, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  president  of  the  American  Christian 
Missionary  Society,  was  with  me  in  Springfield  and 
St.  Louis.  Both  of  these  rendered  valuable  service. 

I sought  to  speak  in  behalf  of  three  outstanding 
movements  for  organic  union.  I named  them  in  order : 
first  the  Episcopal  movement — the  World  Conference 
on  Faith  and  Order — always  emphasizing  that  fine 
twofold  question  of  this  conference — What  does  your 
communion  hold  in  common  with  all  Christendom  and 
what  does  it  hold  as  a special  trust  that  differentiates 
it  from  all  other  bodies  and  therefore  justifies  its 
separate  existence?  The  second  is  the  Presbyterian 
movement — the  Council  on  Organic  Union,  which 
met  last  December  in  Philadelphia,  the  ad  interim 
committee  of  which  is  now  at  work  on  a plan  for 
the  union  of  all  evangelical  Protestants.  This  con- 
ference will  meet  again  in  the  winter.  After  that 
the  plan  will  be  presented  to  the  Protestant  bodies  for 
definite  action.  Whether  the  plan  now  worked  out  or 
another  be  adopted  is  secondary,  only  the  evangelical 
Protestants  must  get  together,  first,  loosely  bound 
without  interference  with  their  denominational  ma- 
chinery, but  to  forthwith  grow  into  a harmonious  force 
for  united  action.  The  third  movement  is  that  of  the 
Disciples — the  Association  for  the  Promotion  of  Chris- 
tian Unity,  Baltimore — ^which  emphasizes  local  con- 
ferences among  all  religious  bodies,  intercessory 
prayer,  for  there  can  be  no  unity  without  the  atmos- 
phere of  prayer,  and  the  distribution  of  irenic  literature. 
The  only  office  in  the  world  where  all  kinds  of  Chris- 
tian unity  literature  of  irenic  character  under  the  au- 
thorship of  Protestants,  Roman  Catholics  and  Greek 
Catholics  can  be  obtained  is  in  that  office.  They  send 
out  25,000  pieces  of  Christian  unity  mail  a year  and  to 
all  parts  of  the  world. 

These  three  movements  supplement  each  other.  The 
Episcopal  movement  is  for  the  union  of  the  whole 
Church,  the  Presbyterian  movement  for  the  union  of 


APPENDIX 


127 


evangelical  Protestants,  and  the  Disciple  movement 
helping  both  by  their  local  conferences,  leagues  of  in- 
tercessory prayer  and  distributing  irenic  literature  in 
that  interest. 

This  was  doubtless  the  first  tour  of  its  kind  ever 
made  in  this  country.  I delivered  sixty  addresses.  The 
interest  surpassed  my  expectations.  There  were  always 
many  questions  asked  and  in  turn  questions  were  freely 
answered.  There  is  a genuine  desire  for  Christian 
unity  which  cannot  be  smothered  by  reactionary  efforts. 
The  inquiry  in  many  instances  was  “ What  can  we  do  ? ” 
Leagues  for  conferences,  prayer  and  research  must  be 
organized  all  over  the  country.  The  whole  Church  is 
making  the  discovery  that  divisions  are  unspiritual, 
unwise  and  unnecessary.  A divided  Church  can  never 
produce  the  best  spiritual  results,  and  its  attempts  to 
win  the  world  in  many  instances  rival  the  escapades  of 
Don  Quixote  rather  than  that  fundamental  unity  which 
characterized  the  life  of  the  Founder  of  Christianity. 

The  distribution  of  literature  has  its  function,  but 
the  message  of  a united  Church  must  be  carried  by  in- 
dividuals. In  the  instance  of  the  Prohibition  movement 
for  many  years  America  had  to  be  evangelized  in  that 
interest  before  the  abolition  of  the  saloon.  It  is  no  less 
so  regarding  the  unity  of  the  Church.  There  are  both 
opposition  and  indifference.  These  can  be  removed  and 
must  be.  Teams  must  go  out  until  the  whole  nation  has 
been  awakened.  This  awakening  must  not  be  on  an 
emotional  basis,  else  it  will  quickly  subside.  There  must 
be  literature,  well  written  and  well  printed.  Classes 
must  be  organized  for  this  work  as  in  the  temperance 
cause  and  missionary  endeavour.  City,  district,  state  and 
national  conferences  must  become  permanent  institu- 
tions. It  is  the  greatest  task  before  the  Church  and 
calls  now  for  the  best  men  and  women  in  the  various 
communions.  It  will  require  large  sums  of  money,  but 
when  men  and  women  of  large  means  become  more 
interested  in  Christ  and  a lost  world  than  in  their 
denominational  peculiarities  the  money  will  come,  for  a 
united  Church  is  of  God,  preeminently,  distinctly  and 


128  IF  NOT  A UNITED  CHUECH— WHAT! 


eternally.  Although  great  difficulties  face  us,  the  out- 
look is  radiant  with  hope. 

While  statesmen  are  planning  for  a league  of  nations, 
as  long  years  ago  our  forebears  planned  for  a league  of 
independent  states  that  made  this  union  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  it  is  high  time  that  the  whole  Church 
should  rally  her  forces  for  such  a league  of  united 
action,  that  not  only  the  League  of  Nations  may  be 
maintained,  but  that  the  new  world  may  be  upon  better 
foundations  for  permanent  peace  and  social  betterment 
than  it  was  in  1914.  This  is  no  choice  of  ours;  it  is  a 
necessity,  for  an  unbelieving  and  wrecked  world  is  the 
price  we  are  paying  for  our  divisions. 


VIII 

ORGANIZATIONS  FOR  THE  PROMOTION  OF 
CHRISTIAN  UNITY 

Association  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian  Unity, 
Inc.  Having  its  inception  in  the  work  of  Thomas  Camp- 
bell, 1809,  present  organization  1910,  President,  Rev. 
Peter  Ainslie;  Secretary,  Rev.  H.  C.  Armstrong,  Semi- 
nary House,  Baltimore,  Md.,  U.  S.  A.  For  intercessory 
prayer,  friendly  conferences  and  distribution  of  irenic 
literature,  “ till  we  all  attain  unto  the  unity  of  the  faith.” 
Pentecost  Sunday  is  the  day  named  for  special  prayers 
for  and  sermons  on  Christian  unity  in  all  Churches. 

Association  for  the  Promotion  of  the  Unity  of 
Christendom,  1857,  President,  Athelstan  Riley,  Esq.,  2 
Kensington  Court,  London;  Secretary  in  the  United 
States,  Rev.  Calbraith  Bourn  Perry,  Cambridge,  N.  Y. 
For  intercessory  prayer  for  the  reunion  of  the  Roman 
Catholic,  Greek  and  Anglican  communions. 

Christian  Unity  Association  of  Scotland,  1903, 
Secretary,  Rev.  Robert  W.  Weir,  Edinburgh.  For  main- 
taining, fostering  and  expressing  the  consciousness  of 
the  underlying  unity  that  is  shared  by  many  members  of 
the  different  Churches  in  Scotland. 


APPENDIX 


129 


Christian  Unity  Foundation,  1910,  Secretary,  Rev. 
W.  C.  Emhardt,  Newtown,  Berks  Co.,  Pa.  For  the 
promotion  of  Christian  unity  throughout  the  world  by 
research  and  conference. 

Churchmen’s  Union,  1896,  President,  Prof.  Percy 
Gardner ; Hon.  Secretary,  Rev.  C.  Moxon,  3 St.  George’s 
Square,  London  S.  W.,  England.  For  cultivation  of 
friendly  relations  between  the  Church  of  England  and 
all  other  Christian  bodies. 

Commission  on  the  World  Conference  on  Faith  and 
Order,  1910,  President,  Rt.  Rev.  Charles  P.  Anderson; 
Secretary,  Robert  H.  Gardiner,  Esq.,  Gardiner,  Me., 
U.  S.  A.  For  a world  conference  of  all  Christians  rela- 
tive to  the  unity  of  Christendom. 

Council  on  Organic  Union,  1918,  Ad  Interim  Com- 
mittee, Chairman,  Rev.  W.  H.  Roberts,  Philadelphia, 
Pa. ; Secretary,  Rev.  Rufus  W.  Miller,  Witherspoon 
Building,  Philadelphia.  For  the  organic  union  of  the 
Evangelical  Churches  in  the  United  States  of  America. 

Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in 
America,  1908,  President,  Rev.  Frank  Mason  North; 
Secretary,  Rev.  Charles  S.  Macfarland,  105  E.  22d  St., 
New  York.  For  the  cooperation  of  the  various  Prot- 
estant communions  in  service  rather  than  an  attempt  to 
unite  upon  definitions  of  theology  and  polity. 

Free  Church  Fellowship,  1911,  Rev.  Malcolm  Spen- 
cer, Colue  Bridge  House.  Rickmansworth,  London,  N. 
For  the  cultivation  of  corporate  prayer  and  thought  for 
a new  spiritual  fellowship  and  communion  with  all 
branches  of  the  Christian  Church. 

Interchurch  World  Movement  of  North  America, 
1919,  Chairman  Executive  Committee,  John  R.  Mott, 
New  York;  General  Secretary,  S.  Earl  Taylor,  920 
Broadway,  New  York.  For  giving  and  accomplishing 
an  adequate  programme  for  Protestantism  in  the  world. 

National  Council  of  the  Evangelical  Free 
Churches  of  England,  1895,  President,  Rev.  Principal 


130  IFNOT  A UNITED  CHUEOH— WHAT? 


W.  B.  Selbie,  Mansfield  College,  Oxford;  Secretary, 
Rev.  F.  B.  Meyer,  Memorial  Hall,  E.  C.,  London.  For 
facilitating  fraternal  intercourse  and  cooperation  among 
the  Evangelical  Free  Churches  in  England, 


IX 

A BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  CHRISTIAN  UNITY 

{The  hooks  included  in  this  list  are  by  Greek  Orthodox, 
Episcopalians,  Presbyterians,  Roman  Catholics,  Con- 
gregationalists,  Methodists,  Luther-ans,  Baptists, 
Disciples  of  Christ,  etc.) 

Agony  of  the  Church,  The.  Velimirovio,  London, 
Student  Christian  Movement.  1917 $o.7S 

Approaches  Toward  Church  Unity.  Smyth  and 
Walker.  Yale  University  Press.  1919 1.25 

Christian  System,  The.  Campbell.  St.  Louis, 
Christian  Board  of  Publication i.oo 

Christian  Union.  Garrison.  St.  Louis,  Christian 
Board  of  Publication.  1906 i.oo 

Christian  Union  in  Social  Service.  Carlisle.  Lon- 
don, Clarke  & Co.  1913 2S.  6d. 

Christian  Unity  at  Work.  Macfarland.  Federal 
Council  I.oo 

Church  of  Christ  in  Process  of  Transformation, 

The.  Douglas.  Baltimore,  Association  for 
the  Promotion  of  Christian  Unity 15 

Church  and  Religious  Unity,  The.  Kelly.  Long- 
mans. 1913 1.50 

Church  Divisions  and  Christianity.  Grane.  Mac- 
millan. 1916  2.00 

Churches  at  the  Crossroads,  a Study  in  Church 
Unity,  The.  Shakespeare.  London,  Williams 
and  Norgate.  1919 7s.  6d. 

Churches  of  the  Federal  Council,  The.  Macfarland. 

Revell  1.00 

English  Church  and  Reunion,  The.  Chandler.: 
Gorham.  1916  1.25 


APPENDIX  131 

Fulness  of  Christ,  The.  Weston.  Longmans.  1916.  2.00 
Greek  Orthodox  Church,  The.  Callinicos.  Long- 


mans. 1918  

Historical  Documents  Advocating  Christian  Union. 
Young.  Chicago,  The  Christian  Century  Co. 

1904 1. 00 

Holy  Catholic  Church  and  the  Communion  of 

Saints,  The.  Swete.  Macmillan.  1915 1.25 

Hope  of  Reunion,  The.  Winnington-Ingram.  Lon- 
don, Wells  Gardner,  Darton  and  Co.  1919. ...  is. 

How  to  Promote  Christian  Union.  Kershner. 

Cincinnati,  The  Standard  Publishing  Co.  1916.  i.oo 

Kingdom  of  Christ,  The.  Maurice.  Everyman’s 

Library  I.oo 

Lectures  on  the  Reunion  of  the  Church.  Ddllinger. 

Dodd.  1872 1.50 

Meaning  of  Christian  Unity,  The.  Cobb.  Crowell. 

191S  1-25 

Message  of  the  Disciples  for  the  Union  of  the 
Church,  The.  Ainslie.  Revell.  1913 I.oo 

Our  Plea  for  Union  and  the  Present  Crisis.  Wil- 
lett. Chicago,  Christian  Century  Co 50 

Our  Sacred  Heritage.  Cooper.  William  Black- 
wood and  Sons.  1917 6d. 

Passing  Protestantism  and  Coming  Catholicism. 

Smyth.  Scribner’s.  1908 1.00 

Psychology  of  Relidous  Sects,  The.  McComas. 
Revell.  1912 1.25 

Reconstruction  of  the  American  Church,  The. 

Haushalter.  Boston,  Badger.  1919 1.25 

Religion  of  the  Thinking  Man.  Lanier,  Fredericks- 
burg, Va 1.25 

Restatement  and  Reunion.  Streeter.  Macmillan. 

1914  75 

Reunion:  a Voice  from  Scotland.  Cooper.  Lon- 
don, Robert  Scott.  1918 3s. 

Sevenfold  Unity  of  the  Christian  Church,  The. 

Hall.  Longmans.  1911 75 

Symbolism,  or  Exposition  of  the  Doctrinal  Dif- 
ferences Between  Catholics  and  Protestants. 


132  IF  NOT  A UNITED  OHUECH— WHAT? 


Moehler.  Translated  by  J.  B.  Robertson.  New 
York,  Benzinger  2.50 

That  They  All  May  Be  One.  Wells.  Funk  & 

Wagnalls  Co.  1905 75 

That  They  All  May  Be  One.  Whyte.  Armstrong. 

1907 25 

Thoughts  of  the  Present  Position  of  Protestantism. 

Harnack.  Macmillan.  1899 i.oo 

Towards  Christian  Unity.  Ainslie.  Baltimore, 
Association  for  the  Promotion  of  Christian 
Unity.  1919 25 


Towards  Reunion.  Anglican  and  Free  Church- 
man. Macmillan.  1919 

Union  of  Christian  Forces  in  America,  The.  Ash- 
worth. Philadelphia,  American  Sunday  School 


Union.  1915  75 

United  Church  of  the  United  States,  The.  Shields. 

Scribner’s.  1895  2.50 

Unity  and  Missions.  Brown.  Revell.  1915.......  1.50 

Unity  and  Schism.  Lacey.  Morehouse  Pub.  Co. 

1918  2.00 

What  Must  the  Church  Do  to  Be  Saved?  Simms. 
Revell.  1913. 1.50 


Working  Conference  on  the  Union  of  American 

Methodism,  A.  Methodist  Book  Concern.  1916.  i.oo 


The  Christian  Union  Quarterly,  Established  in  1911. 
Seminary  House,  Baltimore,  Md. ; Fleming  H. 
Revell  Co.,  New  York;  Oliphants,  London  and 
Edinburgh;  and  Maruzen  Company,  Tokyo. 
Annual  subscription  $1.00 

The  Constructive  Quarterly,  edited  by  Silas  McBee. 
George  H.  Doran  Company,  New  York;  Hum- 
phrey Milford,  Oxford  University  Press, 
London.  Annual  subscription $2.50 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


THE  PULPIT  AND  PEW 


G.  CAMPBELL  MORGAN,  D.D. 

The  Ministry  of  the  Word 

James  Sprunt  Lectures.  i2mo,  net 

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■ Manasement,"  etc. 

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ALFRED  fFILLIAMS ANTHONY,  D.D. 

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Conscience  and  Concessions 

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F A.  AGAR,  D.D. 

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LECTURES  AND  STUDIES 


EDWIN  LINCOLN  HOUSE,  D.D. 

The  Drama  of  the  Face 

Studies  in  Applied  Psychology.  i2mo,  cloth, 
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A practical  Christian  indication  of  the  principles  of 
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evitable, unalterable  laws. 

CHARLES  WOOD,  D.  D.  Pastor  of  the  Church  of  the 

' Covenant,  Washineton,  D.  C. 

The  Living  Christ  and  Some  Prob- 
lems of  To-day 

William  Belden  Noble  Lectures  at  Harvard 
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the  world.” — Washington  Star. 

HIRAM  V ANKIRK  Rector  of  St.  Luke's,  Noroton,  Conn. 

The  Source-Book  for  the  Life  of 

Christ  A New  Harmony  of  the  Gospels. 

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FERDINAND  S.  SCHENCK,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

Professor  of  Preaching  and  Sociology  in  the  Theological 
Seminary,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. 

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tieth Century 

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times  of  loose  thinking  and  departure  from  the  truth  as 
it  is  in  Christ  Jesus.” — The  Evangelical. 


BIBLE  STUDY 


P.  IPHITfPELL  WILSON  Author  of  " The  Christ 
— IVe  Per  get 

The  Church  We  Forget 

A Study  of  the  Life  and  Words  of  the  Early 
Christians.  8vo,  cloth,  net 

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paint-box  is  the  Bible,  and  nothing  else — and  my  canvas 
is  a page  which  he  who  runs  may  read.” 

C.  ALPHONSO  SMITH,  Ph.D.,  LL.D. 

Head  of  the  Department  of  English  in  the  U.  S.  Naval 
Academy,  Annapolis,  Md. 

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of  the  Bible  i2mo,  cloth,  net 

The  sacred  books  dealt  with  are  Genesis,  Ksther,  Job, 
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GEORGE  D,  WATSON,  D.D, 

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EVERETT  PEPPERRELL  WHEELER,  A,  M, 

Author  of"  Sixty  Years  of  American  Life,"  tie. 

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THE  NEW  WORLD  ORDER 


PROF.  A.  T.  ROBERTSON,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

The  New  Citizenship 

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GEORGE  WOOD  ANDERSON 

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tion of  the  program  Christ  laid  out  for  His  followers,  to 
the  clamant  needs  of  humanity  at  large. 

C.  B.  WILLIAMS,  Pk.D.,  D.D. 

Citizens  of  Two  Worlds 

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WILLIAM  C.  SCHAEFFER,  D.D. 

The  Greater  Task 

Studies  in  Social  Service.  Cloth,  net 

“This  author  believes  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  com- 
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